The Art of Staying Above Water
by Conan15
Summary: What might plausibly have happened if Finnick re-entered the Games with Annie instead of Mags. Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games but merely borrow themes and characters from Susan Collins' excellent work.
1. The Odds Were Never in Our Favor

**This story is at the request of music lover from district 4. My usual field is songfics (as you can see from my 2 other stories) however I decided to branch out to a new field here and I know it isn't my best work (I acknowledge that now) so keep that in mind as you read and (hopefully) review.**

**Chapter 1: The Odds Were Never in Our Favor**

Finnick had not planned to participate in another Reaping, had been promised he would never be put through that horror again. Yet here he was, standing amongst the other victors from his district and trying to hold his head up and above the rolling waters of his despair. His khaki pants and linen green shirt felt far too warm for the day and the twenty-four year old felt beads of sweat pool on his forehead causing his bronze curls to stick to it. Deep down he was well aware that it was not the temperature that was causing the salty liquid to flow from his pores but rather the stress of being up here again and feeling like the fourteen year old he had been when his name had been called by Iris Adais, their District's Capitol representative.

The memories flooded back as he stood there trying his best to conceal them, they couldn't see him fall apart for he had too much to lose. Despite knowing this he felt his mind rush back to his first Reaping and suddenly he was there again standing there absolutely shaking with fear. _His sea green eyes dart around as he looks up at the much bigger fourteen year olds standing around him; he barely comes up to their shoulders and has yet to reach the growth spurt his parents keep reassuring him about. Straightening his shoulders he tries to look bigger like them but it fails as his freckles stand out in the sunlight making him look painfully younger than he is. Without really listening he watches with terrified deer-in-the-headlight-eyes as he sees a little twelve year old girl get reaped and makes note of the tears streaming pitifully down her face; a brief terrible thought hits him as he looks at her and feels a sudden urge to yell out that her tears can't save her now. As this thought makes him recoil in fear at his lack of compassion he watches as another older girl, an eighteen year old who looks to be prime Career material, pushes her back in line and takes her place beside Iris. She must have volunteered for the twelve year old just to have a chance to compete in the Game his fourteen year old mind registers. Volunteers like her may save the lives of their younger classmates who, like him, have only just begun to train for the Games but this girl didn't volunteer out of kindness but rather a selfish desire to compete. He hated people like her for that, the bronze haired boy admits as he feels his ability to hear return and finds his body trying to stand up even straighter as he puts on a brave face. With his ability to focus and hear having returned he could now not just feel but hear his heart pounding in his ears and the sharp rasp of air catching on his sore throat as his breath quickens in time with the Capitol representative sharply clicking strut over to the boys' bowl and his breath nearly stops as she fishes out a slip of paper with some sorry lad's name on it._

_ "Finnick Odair!" The woman cries out with a big grin reaching from ear to ear making him wonder, how sick were these people really? He felt pity now for this Finnick fellow until it hits him harder than any slap to the face, that is his name, he is the sorry lad who is going off to die. Looking around he watches as the bigger boys part for him, the fisher's son, to work his way through the crowd. A few are looking down at him with pity as he moves through them while trying desperately to look brave when in all reality he could barely keep his head above the waters of pain and despair filling his young form. Most, he soon saw, couldn't even meet his sea green eyes and all were too chicken to actually step forward and take his place. Nobody was taking pity on him as they had the twelve year old girl and no one was stepping forward to volunteer in his stead as he forces his lead-filled feet to take the stone stairs one at a time to meet the eighteen year old young woman who waits for him there beside the woman with the purple curly hair and wearing a bright yellow dress with purple polka dots. Getting closer he notes that her lips are painted the same yellow, her eyebrows had been drawn on purple and her heels are bright yellow with the same pattern._

_ "Why are you not just a cutie patootie!" She exclaims pinching his cheek and ruffling his bronze curls before she raises his tan hand high above his head in one gloved purple hand and the girl's in her other. "Your tributes for the 65__th__ Annual Hunger Games!" Her cry rings out around the square as Finnick catches his parents and Mako looking on in horror, they know he is headed off to his death and there is nothing they are able to do about it. Glancing away from them he locks gazes with a twelve year old who has her dark brown hair pulled back in two ponytails and her sea green eyes staring into his with the horror he feels reflected in them. The girl who was supposed to be reaped with him stands crying with her face pressed into this girl's shoulder. The girl with the sea green eyes and pigtails looks up at him with a gaze that seems to speak to him and tell him not to give up, that there were girls like her out there that needed to be protected still and he could do no such thing if he was dead. That girl is right, Finnick realizes and makes a silent promise to her that he will fight, will fight as hard as he can to get back home because here was someone who believed in him and needed him to protect her along with many others. Once the promise was made he knows that he can't let her down regardless of whether or not she ever even knows that she was the reason that his desire to survive was resurrected and that he is going to win the Games or die trying._

"Finnick!" Old Hank Gris whispered his name beside him and lightly shook his shoulder to awaken him from whatever daze he was in. The younger man looked at him with slightly panicked sea green eyes and a lack of composure that seemed completely unlike the Capitol's heartthrob who had the swagger and charm of the greatest actor known to mankind. Hank knew that's all he was, an actor for the Capitol, and that's all he admitted to being in front of those who knew him well, and he also knew that the strain must be getting to him for such a large slip up to occur.

"What? What is it Hank?" The twenty-four year old asked with fear in his sea green eyes and written on his face in the worry lines across his forehead and the specific crease at the bridge of his still freckled nose. Hank choked back a sigh, this man, this boy really, did not deserve to go back in the Arena, for that matter none of them did. This was a cruel twist of fate for a bunch of people who had already realized that the odds had never been in their favor, himself included, but it was worse for the youngest of the surviving Victors who had a whole life ahead of them that they now would never have a chance at.

"Those sick bastards." Hank growled under his breath with his light blue eyes transforming into icy shard as they grew hardened by all the anger that had built up inside him over the ages.

"Huh?" Finnick replied looking confused and as the older man looked deep into the younger man's sea green eyes while his hard as ice blue eyes melting to become their normal lighter and softer color as he tried to control his anger, wouldn't do to have a balding man with age spots and sun cancer marks populating his skin with a limp and hunch back to match making a scene today. No it wouldn't do at all. For a second, the younger man could have sworn that his elder was angry and that his normally mellow gaze had suddenly hardened by that anger and an added pain but it was gone too soon and he chalked it off to be his imagination fueled by the stress of participating in another Reaping.

"Nothin' son just bein' sure you were with us, Iris just finished that propaganda crap and is movin' on to the lassies." Panic filled Finnick's heart as he heard Hank's words distorted in his familiar accent and turned towards where the woman was standing, oddly enough in the same outfit she had worn a decade ago when he had been Reaped. Not many people knew or understood why Finnick feared, but anyone who knew him better than the average Joe knew it was for the two years younger Annie Cresta that the young man looked on with fear beating in his chest like a caged bird dying to escape. She was the same girl, he found out in time, that had looked up at him on his own Reaping Day and the same one he had promised to try and come home for simply due to the determination in her similar sea green eyes. Now though she was more than that, she was the only girl Finnick had ever truly loved and now he might lose her, might even be the one to kill her like all his nightmares had threatened over the past five years since she had won and even more so when she had finally said that she loved him a little over two years ago and promised to stay with him and try to protect him in the same way he protected her.

"Now for the girls." Iris began using her favorite little cliché and stepped forwards to their nearly empty bowl before fishing an immaculately manicured hand inside. Pulling out the piece of paper, Finnick knew in his heart of hearts that the name on that paper was Annie's, that it couldn't be anyone's but hers. Whispering it with Iris his face fell as he was proven right and he hated himself for it, "Annie Cresta!" Looking over at her, their wide sea green eyes met as the young woman stepped up. Glaring at the women around her, he watched as none met his gaze, and none volunteered in her stead. But what did he expect? The only woman who would have, Mags Fisher, had been killed, poisoned by Snow for telling Annie his secret. That was what Finnick had been told by a Capitol executive as the woman pressed wet, slobbery, disgusting kisses to his face and he remembered feeling salty tears spill from his eyes as he knew that it was his fault someone he had sworn to protect had died.

"No, no, no!" He heard himself murmuring under his breath and caught eyes with Hank who had looked his way with pain clearly written on his ancient features, this pair did not have any sort of odds in their favor the elderly victor realized.

"Now for the boys!" She continued her cheerful voice making his stomach churn painfully as he saw Annie standing alone up there with her hands trembling and her sea green eyes wide with fear. "Finnick Odair!" Iris cried out and he felt himself fall back in a near faint from keeping his knees locked for too long; probably would have gone down completely had Hank not caught his shoulder and steadied him. Had his name not been called, he realized with a shock as he stepped up there and felt the eyes of his whole District boring into him if not completely through him, he would have volunteered just to keep Annie safe.

"Finn." The younger woman whispered desperately as Iris linked their hands together and lifted them up in the air and the Capitol woman cried out her usual conclusion ignoring the pain that the pair on either side of her was clearly feeling.

"Your Tributes for the Quarter Quell!" No, the odds were definitely not in Annie and Finnick's favor.


	2. Too Broke to be Repaired

**Chapter 2: Too Broke to be Repaired**

"Finnick?" Annie asked with her sea green eyes still brimming with tears and her dark curls looking frazzled as they escaped the loose bun she'd put her hair in following her own tear and pain filled goodbyes. The boy, whose name was being called, looked up with his own sea green eyes tear filled and his bronze curls tousled every which way from running his hand through them too many times.

"Annie?" His voice cracked painfully as he looked up and caught sight of her from where he was currently curled up in a sad-looking ball on his blue sheets and matching comforter. The twenty-two year old plopped down on the edge of his bed beside him and placed a comforting light hand on his bare shoulder. In his pain and anger, he had ripped off the linen shirt and flung it against the wall along with the constricting shoes that he absolutely hated to wear on his feet. At her touch he hid his head between his knees which he had curled up to his chest making him look most like an ostrich putting its head in the sand. "I'm sorry." He mumbled into his knees while all the while knowing that she couldn't hear his words and not caring at all. For the first time in his life he was beginning to fall to pieces because he'd broken all the promises that had barely held him together like Elmer's Kids glue doing a job that Super Glue should.

"I didn't catch that Finn." She replied before maneuvering around the boy that was falling apart and with much effort and grunting on her part, she had pulled him into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around him the way that he had always done for her when she was losing it over some memory. Scooting closer to her warmth and comfort, not even for a moment wondering why she was comforting him when it was usually vice versa, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and sniffled rather pitifully to himself as he allowed his defenses to crack and stopped caring about what happened to him.

"Sorry." Finnick tried again only to have her pull away and look at him with a pain hardened gaze that he hadn't seen since she and Sanders had entered the Arena five years ago. It was a look that turned her normal sea green eyes to shards of unbreakable green diamonds and left the person on the receiving end of the look feeling as if they could never match her strength and determination.

"Stop it right now Finnick, you can't fall to pieces. You promised and we both know that it takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." Annie's words forced him to look up at her and she saw the tear streaks falling on top of a recent red mark from where he'd accidently moved his ring adorned hand too fast through his hair and had hit himself with the heavy gold ring his father Maverick had worn up until an hour ago. The rosy mark or pain below his eye was where the girl chose to gingerly press a small tan hand to his face and felt him wince slightly in a pain filled response. Placing her other tan hand on his opposite cheek she lifted his head up so that he was forced to look into her hard-as-diamonds sea green eyes. When she did, her words suddenly hit home for him especially the word promise but for the life of him he suddenly couldn't remember exactly what he'd promised now why.

"What exactly did I promise?" He asked trying to keep the hope out of his voice at the mere idea that he hadn't broken all his promises. The promises he'd made had been all he was living for because most of those promises had been to protect others and had given him a purpose. Now he had no way of protecting them and was looking at a future where he had no promises to keep and therefore no purpose. If what Annie said was true, that he had made a promise that he had yet to break, then he had a purpose for his life and a reason, a reason not to fall to pieces. A reason, that was, aside from the woman beside him putting aside her own pain to help him deal with his, would she alone be enough for him?

"That you would protect me and I made you a promise too, that I would stay with you because I gave all the stuff that you did to keep us safe a reason and because we both made each other better. Don't you remember that day?" Her response did awaken a memory in him, it was the day that she had finally said yes in their crazy way of communicating, that she loved him and that she would stay, most importantly that she had promised to stay. It was also the day that Mags had told her what Snow forced him to do, all the women in the Capitol, with the omnipresent threat being that he would kill all those he loved if he didn't. Thanks to Mags revealing Snow's use of blackmail to make him do all those women, Snow gave Mags the poison that led to the stroke that she never recovered from, and though it was a hazy memory, had led to her death only a few days later. Glancing over at Annie, who had released his face now that she knew she had his attention, he saw the young woman awaiting his response. Pausing for only a moment more he realized that for the first time it wasn't the promise itself that was pulling him back together and putting the broken mismatched fragments of his heart, mind, and soul back together. The thing fixing him was love, his love for her and her love for him.

"Yes I do remember that now." Was all he could place in words and instead pulled her close into a hug that slightly surprised her but after a moment she reciprocated the gesture gladly. In that embrace was the realization that Annie and that promise (but mostly Annie) gave him a purpose and a reason to live rather than himself and his selfish desire to get back home (though this time he had a funny feeling deep in his bones that he wasn't coming back) wasn't enough to hold him together. "Thank you for reminding me." Glancing over at her it hit him like a pound of bricks that while he had been wallowing in self pity and teetering rather precariously on the edge of falling apart, he hadn't taken one moment to see how she was holding up. She had to be going through just as much, if not more, hell than he and she was unstable enough as it was. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than to be expected I suppose." The green eyed girl replied with a dry chuckle as he pulled away and searched her eyes for an answer, for the truth she couldn't always put into words. Taking them in, he spotted the pain that she felt and the memories that she was desperately trying to hold off as she treaded in the flood of them and treaded water just to keep her head above them and prevent being overwhelmed by them. Kissing her forehead gently he felt the tears begin to flow and pushed aside his own pain, as he had been doing for the last decade, and took her in his arms. Holding her close, he could hear her sniffling and found himself painfully aware that he was without words of comfort for her. Rubbing soothing circles into her back he tried desperately to think of a way to take away her pain and sighed deeply when he realized that he couldn't. He was a broken creature trying to hold it all in and was physically incapable of changing what had become their new reality, they were animals off to the slaughter and no matter how hard they fought they were still going to undoubtedly die.

"Annie," He began and stopped to shake his head in an attempt to keep the tremble out of his voice, the attempt, needless to say, didn't really work. "Annie, I can't change what's destined to be our new reality, I can only try to make do with what I have." Pausing again he felt her move closer to his warmth and comfort before it hit him and the words that he needed finally came to him. "I can't change it but I'm not going to fall apart and I won't let you either. We need to keep it together, keep our heads above the water and fight for our lives. I'm not going down without a fight and I know that you won't either but in the mean time we aren't ready. In the mean time we can barely keep our heads above water and that's okay for now." Taking a deep breath and glancing down at the girl with the new tear streaks on her cheeks looking up at him, Finnick gained the energy necessary to finish his thought. "We're okay for now, we make each other okay. So stay, please stay with me tonight and make us both okay."

"Of course I'll stay Finn, I doubt I could make it tonight if I'd even tried to go to sleep on my own." Annie pointed out with her own tiny smile and sniffled slightly as she wiped her nose and dried her tears with the collar of her shirt. To her surprise, when she looked up from this task, she was met by Finnick's perfect lips on hers in a light kiss that he clearly meant as a gesture of thanks.

"Promise?" He asked as they sat there with their foreheads still touching and she looked deep into his sea green eyes with the same tiny smile.

"I promise." She replied and he wore the same smile, it was definitely the smile of someone who was broken and trying to convince themselves that everything is okay. That promise was the start of the new glue that was beginning to put him back together, them both back together. Looking at her lovingly as she slipped off his lap and took off her shoes before crawling under the covers of the bed. He could feel her feet against his leg as she squirmed about trying to get comfortable and knew that she too was beginning to be put back together, as best as any broken creature could. Following her example he walked over and turned off the lights before joining the twenty-two year old under the covers and wrapping his arms around her.

That night, they both had nightmares but not to the point of waking up and actually got more sleep than they had in the weeks leading up to the Reaping. Looking back, Finnick supposed it was because they now knew that the worst they could have feared had happened and had accepted the inevitability of their situation, or thought they had.

A whistle awoke the pair as they arrived in the Capitol and the two leapt up awaiting the attack that they were sure was going to follow. Thankfully none did but the two were soon separated by their District's stylists handing them clothes and trying to contain their sleep tousled hair before they presented them to the lions and other wild beasts that were the citizens of the Capitol. Finnick, now wearing a pair of jeans and tight black t-shirt with dark tennis shoes, walked off the train and saw all the people awaiting him, awaiting his death, and knew then that it wasn't okay, he and Annie weren't going to be okay and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. Hiding his brokenness he raised a hand and waved to the waiting crowd wearing his fake smile and praying that they couldn't see that he was sinking beneath the waves, that he was completely submerged and nobody could save him now.


	3. Sugar Cubes and Being Put on Display

**Chapter 3: Sugar Cubes and Being Put on Display **

Finnick gasped for air after his head had been shoved rather roughly under the flow of water as the new prep team scrubbed his hair with long nails that felt so different from the way Annie's natural ones felt when they ran through his hair and ruffled it as she laughed while he pretended to spaz about his "precious hair". When his stylist, Aya Yamauchi, walked into the room he was still coughing despite having already cleared all the water from his lungs and nasal passages. The mere memory of nearly drowning while having not even been under water had freaked him out more than he cared to admit as he sat there on the cold table wearing only a hospital gown over his boxers. The woman raised a drawn on bright red eyebrow over her almond shaped dark brown eyes hidden behind her rather large glasses.

"Something is bothering you." Aya observed as she took a step closer to him causing her heels to click sharply against the floor and the tiger stripes tattooed on her skin to move with her lithe form. Her bright orange hair spiked every which way as she walked around him with her blue dress and matching colored mini skirt moving with her and ruffling with each step as she walked around him. Glaring at him, Finnick felt a deep hatred for the woman who had never wronged him but simply didn't understand due to a lack of morality that had never been taught to her. His hatred had no basis and the way his sea green eyes blinked rapidly and his conscience recoiled at this idea. It was true, no one good (except perhaps Annie, Mags and that baker's boy who had been saved last year by the girl on fire) ever won the games and he was included in that stereotype.

"Nothing important Aya." He replied putting on a fake smile that didn't quite reach his sea green eyes yet held enough charm and was flirtatious enough to make the woman still blush like a little school girl. Good to know that he still had THAT ability at least still going for him as he couldn't exactly depend on the odds being in his favor as he once believed he could, turns out that was a bloody lie too.

"Good." The woman replied as she returned to her original position in front of him and looked at him through her hands that she now had forming a sort of picture frame with her fingertips. Looking through it she grinned as she stepped away momentarily to pull out the costume he already knew was going to mostly have to do with nudity, probably have him without a shirt and in short shorts. These people would take it as far as they could and that thankfully limited them to still need to cover anything covered by boxers. Boxers were definitely his limit for this and he was so glad that social guidelines forced Aya to abide by this rule. Stepping out of the room momentarily she returned a moment later holding his outfit for the presentation of the tribute inside of a garment bag.

"What sort of monkey suit am I being forced to wear this time?" Finnick asked with a smirk and a harsh laugh that was more like his real cynical self than the act that he was trying to put on. Aya gave him a funny look and he silently berated himself for breaking character, this was his second slip up over the past 48 hours and now was a time that he couldn't show any sign of being anything but the sex object of the Capitol that Snow forced him to be. Smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand he put on his charming Capitol smile and looked at her with all his charm power turned to its maximum level. "I was just kidding with you sweetheart, I really am just a jokester at heart." The woman blushed at that and the young man felt himself sigh internally, these blasted idiots being turned on by a smile and a nickname? It was more pathetic than he felt nine times out of ten but he at least hid it better than they did thank goodness for that.

"Good to know Finnick, I'll keep that in mind." Aya replied trying to sound professional but failing as she continued to blush and kept allowing her dark brown eyes to be drawn to his lips. It took everything the man had to hold back the shiver of disgust he felt building at the back of his spine. Ignoring (or perhaps just not noticing) the discomfort he felt at her wandering gaze, she took out the outfit and he wanted to recoil in disgust at the idea of him wearing something like this but all those people seeing Annie, his Annie, in something like that. The outfit included just a golden net to cover his boxers and that was it, nothing more; no wonder they had taken so much time to wax his chest, it was going to be out on display!

"It's just wonderful Aya, absolutely wonderful." He lied through his pearly white Capitol smile and she blushed at the praise. "What is it my partner, Annie to be wearing?" Working hard he managed to keep the fear out of his voice at her body and figure being used to gain popularity similarly to his. If that was the case he was 99.9% sure he would lose it right there and that would be a slip up he couldn't have afforded less at that moment.

"It's just a net dress but no worries we covered up her bikini areas since I'm sure that's what you were worried about." The stylist replied with a wink that made him blink furiously, how could she know how he felt about Annie?

"Uh and why would I be worried about that exactly?" Finnick asked managing to not only play but feel the part of the brainless hunk that made the Capitol women drool with a disgusting form of desire.

"Because you are like her big brother and her mentor of course, you are quite the jokester!" She giggled as the realization dawned on him, they knew that he was being protective of Annie and just chalked it down to being a brother-sister relationship. Sighing inwardly in relief he put on the outfit and tried to put the stylist's wandering eyes out of his mind as she ran them over his muscular chest, abdomen, and legs. Shivering slightly as he noticed the drool running out of the corner of the mouth and how she attempted to seductively lick it off with her tongue made his stomach churn so much he was for a second he was 100% sure he was going to lose his lunch.

"Right, right. I got you!" He joked again and looked over at her with all the charm he could muster causing her to blush. Standing up stiffly from sitting too long, the twenty-four year old felt like a ninety-year old man who was trying desperately to pretend he was younger than he really was. Cracking his back and grinning at the resounding pop, he looked back at Aya and gave her a wave before heading towards the chariots and only pausing to call back a quick, "Thanks!" Walking around to where the chariot's were waiting he went to stand beside the one for his District planning to wait for Annie. His plans were interrupted by Jo walking up to him and looking like a ridiculous tree that chose to sock him as hard as she could in the right arm. Cursing under his breath, he heard the girl with the short brown hair and sparkling golden eyes laugh at his pain.

"It's not a pleasure seeing you here Finny-boy." The twenty year old woman put on a grin that looked more like a snarl than a look of happiness in his opinion but still fit her better than words could articulate. Despite the harsh tone that the woman used, Finnick knew her well enough to know that she really pitied him and his poor luck.

"Same to you Jo." He replied knowing that she would understand that he felt the same and felt similar pity for her but he also knew she wouldn't take it well if he said that specifically. "But why am I Finny-boy? I'm older than you!"

"Cause I can call you that so I will." She replied with a smirk before sauntering off as he stuck out his tongue at her receding back. Okay so maybe he was a bit of a grown up kid, he allowed, but that didn't make him worthy of a nickname as bad as Finny-boy, especially since it corrupted his nickname from Remy and that just wouldn't do. Popping a sugar cube from a nearby table, he crunched it sullenly in his mouth before noticing the girl who had won last year, an actress like him, who had faked her love for the boy from her District so that she could save him. Maybe not as bad of a person as he was for tricking all the citizens but she was an actor all the same and as a fellow actor, he saw through her clear as day. Smirking a little too much like his truly cynical self, he moved quickly through the crowd and leaned against the horse that she was petting as her name suddenly came to him.

"Hey Katniss." Chuckling inwardly he watched with calculating sea green eyes as she startled a bit but quickly composed herself as she took him in with her own gray eyes calculating his next move as well as his motive.

"Hey Finnick." She sounds casual but her eyes don't appear as casual as she takes in his present outfit and his closeness. Smirking to himself and trying to keep up his flirtatious front he squirms even closer before sticking out his hand and offering her a sugar cube from the pile he had snatched.

"Want a sugar cube?" Finnick smirked as he pushed his hand closer to her, "They're supposed to be for the horses but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I…well if we see something sweet, we better grab it quick." Damn, he hadn't meant to admit his real fears to this girl he barely knew, hopefully she would write it off as being just him joking around.

"No thanks." She says pushing away my offering with a dark gloved hand before managing a joking tone of her own despite the angry glare that she can't keep out of her gray eyes, "I'd love to borrow your outfit sometime, though." He held back a chuckle as he realized that she must be good to keep up with him to the point of almost going to the offensive in this conversation.

"You're absolutely terrifying me in that getup. What happened to the pretty little girl dresses?" Realizing that there was some sugar on his lip he wet it with his tongue and looked up in time to catch the girl looking at him with disgust in her eyes but not too visible on her face. He must have looked like Aya with that ridiculous tongue move he though with an inward groan that he masked with another grin, how long could he keep this up for?

"I outgrew them." She replied with a sharp look before turning back to the horses and petting it while trying to keep her cool.

"It's too bad about this Quell thing." Finnick continued running her black collar between his fingers and smirking as he could see her tan shoulders tense at his touch, "You could have made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted." Well that last bit was a definite lie because she, like all victors, just wanted safety and to not have to pretend she was something that she was not and the Capitol had taken that last opportunity away from them. Those sick bastards, he thought quoting Hank and glaring at the Capitol's symbol marring the marble ground a few feet away.

"I don't like jewels, and I have more money than I need. What do you spend yours on anyway, Finnick?" It was good not to be killed Finny-boy he thought as she affirmed his thoughts about her only a few seconds ago and made him think of Mags who gave away the majority of her wages to the poor of his District. But he couldn't think of Mags at a time like this, he just had to focus on living through this hell.

"Oh, I haven't dealt in anything as common as money for years." She turned around ripping the fabric away from his fingers with her momentum and gave him a funny look with her gray eyes.

"Then how do they pay you for the pleasure of your company?" Oh, this girl was quick on the uptake he thought, good ally if it came down to it but he doubted it would as he figured that he and Annie could probably make it on their own. Plus he wouldn't want to deal with one legged boy even with all his muscle as he leaned closer to Katniss to the point that their lips were almost touching.

"With secrets." He breathed his sugary breath into her face and felt her strain to keep her muscles from squirming away from him but she did, in the end, manage to impressively stand her ground. "What about you, girl on fire? Do you have any secrets worth my time?"

"No, I'm an open book." She fires quickly back even as a blush reddens her tan checks but she still manages to hold her ground admirably. "Everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."

"Unfortunately," Finnick smiles despite himself at her unknown honesty, "I think that's very true." Pausing for a moment he catches sight of Annie standing tall and proud next to their chariot while chatting away with Wiress and Beetee, she would pick those too he thinks with a small smile. His eyes dart away from her though when he spots the aforethought one-legged boyfriend of the girl in front of him and he manages to pick up on his name as it hits him from somewhere deep in his memory banks. "Peeta is coming. Sorry you had to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must be for you." To his amusement he watches her gray eyes flicker away affirming what he already knew, that it was only an act same as his heartthrob of the Capitol crap. Popping another sugar cube in his mouth he smiles as he hears Peeta question her about as his presence but soon puts the too soon to be on fire tributes out of his mind as he again sets his sights on Annie and where she is waiting for him in the chariot.

"You didn't traumatize that girl too badly did you, Finn?" She asks as he steps up beside her and tries to keep his eyes away from her revealing getup. At least, she is doing the same to him he allows as the horses move and she snatches a sugar cube from his hand with her own fake smile. Katniss and he aren't the only ones good at acting around here, Annie is pretty good at hiding her pain too; hopefully she didn't learn that from him. Raising her arm in a wave, Finnick follows suit as they are all put on show for the excitement and adoration of others. Women raised their hands in return to his wave and blew kisses his way to his disgust as it hit him hard and fast, he hated this and what his life had become with a renewed vigor, if only he could escape by running away with Annie at his side. He needed to and wanted to desperately get away from it all especially his façade as he treaded water faster to just stay above it all and waited for the end of this madness when he could get back to his room and just hold Annie in his arms until sleep came.

**Happy New Year! I wish the best to you and yours in 2014! Thanks for the great reviews so far. I really wanted to write the sugar cube scene from Finn's point of view so this one was a little longer. **


	4. Admitting That We Need Help

**AN: I forgot to add at the end of Chapter 3, all the sugar cube dialogue was a direct quote from ****Catching Fire****, just wanted to make sure that that was fully established. :)**

**Chapter 4: Admitting that We Need Help**

Sleep never came, but the nightmares did haunting them both as they lay awake counting down the hours until they had to get up and go down to the training center. He and Annie both ended up tossing and turning all night and he had to drink a multiple cups of coffee just to make the circles under his eyes go away as Iris, Aya, and her partner Talal Ali berated him for not getting an adequate amount of sleep. As per usual he just tuned them out and glanced over at Hank, the only victor who had volunteered to come along to mentor them, who was chuckling into his own mug. Annie soon joined them at the table and she looked much better than he did despite the same lack of sleep he was dealing with. With just a bit of make-up she had managed to cover up the dark circles and make her sea green eyes look perky and wide awake after only one cup of coffee while it had taken three just to make him wake up enough to keep his eyes open. Her hair looked perfect with her dark curly ringlets pulled back in a pony tail and her slim form contained in the outfit that they were supposed to wear for training that day.

"Now that's how someone should look with an adequate amount of sleep Finnick!" Iris exclaimed making Annie blush at the unwanted attention and making him feel slightly jealous but mostly a little turned on by her ability to hide her sleeplessness so well. "Finnick?" She continued snapping her glove-covered fingers in front of his face and rolling her magenta-contact wearing eyes when he responded a moment later with a grunt and a glare from his still sleep-filled sea green eyes. "Were you even listening to me?" Her sigh made him feel a little bad but not enough to lift a hand to stifle the yawn he felt coming on causing her to groan at his lack of manners.

"Sorry Iris, I zoned out a bit there. can you ever forgive me such a grievous faux pas?" Finnick replied in the most dramatic tone he could manage and finished with a theatrical bow that earned the bated breath of Aya and the laughter of Hank and Annie. Iris continued to glare at his back as he placed his mug in the sink, snatched a piece of French toast off Talal's plate, causing Talal to glare at him as well, before he exited the kitchen. Munching on the toast as he climbed up the stairs to his room, he finally allowed the fake smile to fall away. He could hear Annie kindly excuse herself and felt, rather than heard, her soft footfalls follow him to his room, well their room, she spent more time in their than her assigned room anyhow.

"Nice performance." She congratulated him with a sly fake grin from where she stood in the doorway and he turned around from where he was standing barefooted in just a pair of over-sized sweatpants and holding the tight athletic shirt he was supposed to be wearing. Blushing slightly, the acting bit of Finnick took pleasure at her discomfort but his real self won out and he pulled the shirt over his head covering up the distraction.

"Distracted you there for a moment?" He asked as he pulled off the sweats, knowing that Annie had seen him in just his boxers at a previous time, and sat down to pull on the shorts that thankfully fell longer than his outfit from last night. Though Annie's looks from her slightly embarrassed sea green eyes had made the net worth it, it still revealed more skin than he normally cared to.

"Just enjoying the view. Wouldn't know anything about that now would you?" Annie teased as she sidled closer and his mind returned to the outfit that she had been wearing last night, so maybe she wasn't the only one who got distracted by the perfect body of their fellow tribute and significant other, technically he was definitely guilty of that as well.

"Suppose I do." The twenty-four year old came back with a real smile that met his eyes as he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close and he pressed a kiss to her lips. In return the woman wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss which surprised him slightly but hey, he wasn't complaining.

"Come on Finn, you need to get ready or Iris will come up here and have your hide." She pointed out when they pulled away to catch a breath and he sighed because as much as he wanted to continue kissing her lips, he really did need to get ready.

"Fine." He allowed as he ran a hand through his hair to make it look nicer, pulled on the constricting shoes that he hated so, and double checked that the circles under his eyes had faded enough to make it look like he wasn't going to fall over in exhaustion any second now. "One more for the road?" The twenty-two year old nodded and stepped forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips with her sea green eyes closed in absolute bliss. His were too and when he opened them he saw that she had already gone and he sighed. This was so much harder now that he had someone he needed to take care of, to protect. It was easier when it was just him but the two of them made everything infinitely more difficult, specifically because only one of them could get unless he came up with some brilliant plan to change that. Sadly he wasn't the plan maker either and if he couldn't then he needed to ensure her survival, he was replaceable while she was not, she had a little brother to go back home to while his family could move on especially if Annie was there to help them.

"You're late Finnick Odair! Get down here already!" Iris hollered up the stairs disturbing his thoughts as he bolted at the noise and was down the stairs infinitely faster than he had gone up them. Hank joined Finnick and Annie for the ride down to the training center and despite it being a mere six floors, he was glad for the company of the older victor.

"Any advice for the Quell that differs from that of the usual Games?" She asked Hank and the older victor closed his light blue eyes as he contemplated her question. Finnick could think of a few good answers but the French toast was sticking to the back of his throat and he didn't really wish to chance talking at the present moment with that complication facing him. Getting sick in the elevator would not have been good for any of them, especially since he absolutely hated to puke.

"Alliances are goin' to be the difference between livin' and dyin' this year Miss Annie but that's the best that I can tell thus far." Hank analyzed as he stroked his wind-worn and sun-damaged chin with a thoughtful expression, "Got anything to add, Finn?" The younger male victor shook his head as the doors opened and he and Annie stepped out with Hank only following when he spotted Haymitch, his friend and one of three surviving victors from his district.

"Gris!" The mentor of Katniss and Peeta called out to them and Hank smiled at the unusually sober victor. As Annie and Finnick moved on towards the door to the training center, they heard Hank reply and the two victor wander off discussing the horrors of the Quarter Quell and wondering why this terrible event occurred.

"You ready?" He asked, now that the toast had gone completely down, as he held one door handle and Annie took the other and gave him a look that he had come to know well.

"Course not but there's no better time to begin." Pulling open the doors simultaneously he was greeted by the harsh noises of Gloss and Cashmere's knives thudding into the dummies and the sound of Jo's grunts as she used her axe to hack away at another. Annie and he quickly separated as she went off to go and learn a bit about working with a knife from someone other than Gloss or Cashmere. He already had a weapon of choice though and went off to practice with his favorite weapon; the trident. No one else liked it, thankfully, and he wasn't about to complain about the empty practice range. The emptiness made it easier for him to think, which, now that he thought about it, wasn't one of his greatest ideas of all time. Thinking gave his mind time to roam to ideas better left alone like the one that wanted to run away with Annie and another that was desperate to let the shards that were his mind just fall to pieces but that would mean leaving Annie which he couldn't do nor would ever actually dare.

"Finny-boy!" Jo greeted him distracting him from his thoughts, for that he could thank her tenfold, but he faked a groan at the use of what he knew was a nickname he wasn't losing anytime soon.

"Jo-Jo!" He returned the greeting with an attempt at a new nickname to make them even but the girl only gave him a look that meant it wasn't quite up to snuff.

"Better luck next time Finny-boy. I know five year olds who can come up with better insults than you." The warrior shot back and punched him in the arm that luckily wasn't holding the trident he had been throwing at the target a good many yards away. If it had he was sure he would have dropped it making for a great show of manliness from the heartthrob of the Capitol who was supposed to be a real manly man.

"Don't be too hard on the pretty boy. My mentor was never one for being quick on his feet mentally." Annie pointed out stepping up behind Jo and causing the younger woman to rapidly blink her golden eyes to hide the fact she had been startled. Not many people could call Annie much of a fighter but she was quick with knots and one of the greatest at sneaking around out of all the victors here with her only possible rival being the huntress Katniss. When it came to knots though he was beyond grateful for her teaching him that skill, it had become very handy over the years as a method for him to keep calm.

"Annie!" He whined and she turned to look at him as she twirled a throwing knife between her finger tips dangerously. Smirking back at him she turned round completely and threw the knife so that it landed in the middle of the bull's-eye.

"Somebody has gotten more dangerous as of late." Jo complemented her as the older girl blew on her finger tips boastfully with a competitive smile dancing on her lips. Finnick knew that she had been practicing that skill for awhile now and had become very, very adept at it but up until now he was not aware exactly how good she'd become.

"Practice makes perfect." Was all she needed to say back before she met Finn's steady sea-green eye gaze. "Oh yeah and I was supposed to come get you two because it's lunch now but you two missed the lunch call while arguing. Nobody else was brave enough to come break it up except me." Puffing out her chest like a proud bird, Finnick held back a chuckle as he watched her give him a wink before locking arms with Jo and pulling her down the hall to the cafeteria. Knowing all the victors as well as he did, he was self-assured that they would be broken up into little cliques of sorts. He was not proven wrong, the four other Careers were all seated at one end of the table on their own while Katniss and Peeta had joined a group from District 11 along with Beetee and Wiress at their end of the long table. Jo joined him and Annie and they sat in the middle of the table, in between the two main groups and the rest of the tributes who were sitting on either side.

"That Peeta fellow," Jo began as she clanged her tray loudly on the table and plopped down in her seat violently. Annie and Finnick soon joined her but in a much quieter manner as she forked a load of food into her mouth and swallowed before pointing her now empty fork at the pair. "Is good at charming people and would probably be good at getting sponsors."

"I'm good at getting sponsors on my own." He pointed out as he sipped at his water and looked down at the unappetizing food on his plate. "Plus we're not looking for allies, I'm sure that the three of us can take on everyone and come out on top."

"But then it would end up being just the three of us." Annie pointed out with a frown as she blew on her spoonful of soup to cool it, "And Hank said it would be a good idea to get allies." She continued before putting the spoon in her mouth and swallowing it.

"Your Hank is right, allies will be necessary this year." The warrior woman pointed out from where she sat on the opposite side from the District 4 tributes. "Peeta isn't much of a fighter but I know Katniss is good, having them both on our side will be better than partnering up with the golden siblings and the killer twins from Districts 1 and 2." Nodding her head in the direction of Gloss, Cashmere, Brutus, and Enobaria, she feigned a shudder earning a laugh from Annie and a sigh of acceptance of the inevitable from Finnick.

"Fine. Fine. Fine." He muttered into his soup as he spooned a mouthful in before remembering how hot it was and scalding his tongue. Quickly swigging his whole glass of water down, he vaguely heard Annie and Jo laugh at his mistake. "Not that funny!"

"Oh honey, it was that funny." Jo corrected him as she stood up to go put her tray away and walked back into the training room following the footsteps of the "golden siblings" and "killer twins" that she hated so but was oddly enough a lot like. Sighing to himself, he could still see Annie smiling out of the corner of his eye as she followed him to go put away their trays and the pair also reentered the center. Upon catching sight of Katniss alone at the rope tying station she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to go and introduce her to the huntress.

"Hey Katniss!" He exclaims putting on his fake charming grin and leaning around her to fix the knot she was working on.

"Oh you again." Katniss replies with a sigh as she waited for him to move himself out of the way before turning around and catching sight of Annie standing beside him. "Who is this?" She continued crossing her arms over her chest and looking the woman beside him up and down with her calculating slate gray eyes.

"Annie Cresta, District 4." The twenty-two year old introduced herself with a smile and stuck out a hand that Katniss surprisingly shook.

"Katniss Everdeen, District 12." Peeta chose that moment to walk up behind her with the clanking of his prosthetic making both ninja-like women wince at the clumsy noise. "And this is my fiancé, Peeta Mellark, also of District 12."

"Good to meet you both. You already know Finn." Annie gestured behind her to where the twenty-four year old had fashioned a noose without looking and was now pretending to hang himself for their amusement. "Seriously? Grow up already Finn!" She exclaimed with a sigh and he laughed as Peeta and Katniss raised their eyebrows. Brushing away a stray strand of curly dark hair, Annie recomposed herself and turned back to the younger girl who seemed to not mind her too much. "Don't mind him, he just came along to introduce me so that I could ask you for some shooting help in exchange for maybe a few lessons on hook-making or rope tying."

"Sure." The huntress replied with a smile and earned a startled look from Peeta, Finnick assumed that that blonde baker must be painfully well aware of his fiancé's inability to make friends easily. "Want to start now? I need to practice my shooting anyway and your friend Finnick seems to have claimed the knot tying station." Annie nodded and the two girls walked off chatting away as if they had been best friends for years rather than five minutes.

"Damn your girlfriend is good at making anyone warm up." Peeta observed with a smile playing on his face and his blue eyes sparkling behind some locks of blonde hair that had spilled over his eyebrows. Finnick turned to him with a startled look of surprise in his sea green eyes and his jaw gaping.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He exclaimed even as the little voice in his head wanted to scream and argue otherwise but he knew that to keep up his façade, he couldn't. "I mean she's a hottie but no, a little too unstable for my taste."

"You might want to work on your taste." The baker smirked as he shook his head in amusement, "Not one of these victors is going to be stable enough if you don't." Now he really needed this kid as an ally, he was observative enough to notice even his brokenness, a fact that had gone completely over his fiancé's head. In the mean time Peeta was about to walk off and head over to the painting station to make friends with the morphlings and Finnick bit his lower lip as he debated whether or not to tell the other guy to wait up. Eventually the voice in his head, that sounded a bit too much like Mags in her compassionate and always right way, won out and he took a step after him.

"Wait." The twenty-four year old called back and the eighteen year old turned around to look at his with his blue eyes filled with confusion and his arms crossed in front of his chest, a habit he had undoubtedly picked up from his suspicious fiancé. "Would you and Katniss possibly be interested in allying with Annie, Jo, and I?"

"We'll think about it." Peeta replied with a smile that met his eyes and Finnick smiled back, maybe asking for help wasn't the end of the world after all.


	5. Channeling and Unexpected Developments

**Chapter 5: Channeling Pain and Unexpected Developments**

Two days of training had gone by and today was the day that the twenty four tributes were supposed to reveal their talents and be rated by the Gamemakers led by the head Gamemaker Plutarch Havensbee. Today was also the day that Annie had woken up from her three hours of somewhat uninterrupted sleep to Finnick screaming his head off.

"Finn?" She asked blinking in the bright sunlight and found the twenty-four year old not beside her with his arms wrapped around her making her feel safe but instead a cold mattress and no Finn in sight. "Finn!" Flying forwards she felt her back creak in pain as the archery and trident lessons from yesterday left her whole upper body feeling achy. Scanning the room with her sea green eyes narrowed she quietly slipped off the bed, thankful for the lack of sheets she hadn't noticed were missing until now, and grabbed her waiting knife from her training suit belt. Creeping across the room she walked across the open area between the bed and door and leapt forward so that she landed in a fighting stance with her knife poised to fly. Seconds before she let it go she caught sight of Finn lying there curled up in the blankets, screaming like there was no tomorrow and his whole body shook with fear. Releasing the knife in her haste it thudded to the ground as she simultaneously dropped to the ground beside him and started to shake his shoulders to awake him from what couldn't be anything but the worst nightmare he'd ever had, nor ever would.

"Annie?" He asked as he felt his sea green eyes open and felt his mind escape the dark expanses that was his nightmare. It was the same nightmare that had haunted him for years but now it had new occupants and it was him, he killed them. There was no Snow urging him on but just him in the Arena throwing his net at Peeta and Katniss and stabbing them both while they sat there caught and unable to escape like the fish he used to catch with Mako and his father. Not just Peeta and Katniss though, it was Jo and Wiress and Beetee, all screaming for mercy as he took them out one at a time. Finally there had just been Annie and instead of saving her like he had wanted to for as long as he could he was the one delivering the final blow, he who was supposed to be her protector had ended her. At that thought he screamed again a bloodcurdling cry that brought a bathrobe wearing Hank to the door. He looked back at Annie upon seeing their mentor and he saw her shake her head and Hank's subsequent nod before he shuffled back down the hall to his room.

"What happened there Finn?" She pressed him as he pulled away from her and scooted away from her until his back hit the wall behind him and he grunted in pain. "You've got to stop this Finn, you're hurting yourself."

"It's better than hurting you." The twenty-four year old pointed out as he covered his eyes with his hands and tried not to shake with the fear that he felt building up inside of him. Shaking her head she placed a hand on his face and forced him to look at her, into the depths of her sea green eyes.

"You wouldn't hurt me, I know you wouldn't. Just let me help you Finn. Keeping it all inside it killing you." Annie scooted closer and moved his hands away from his watery sea green eyes. "Please tell me Finn, I can help." Pulling his knees into his chest and crossing his arms on top of them, a habit he was sure he picked up from Katniss despite knowing her for only a few days. Could he tell her? It was so much easier to just hold it in, to not bother anyone with his pain but it was reaching a point that he truly couldn't hold it all in no matter how hard he tried, and he had tried so hard, so hard.

"Just a nightmare." He managed finally as he ran a hand through his sweaty bronze curls and sighed with the relaxation gained from releasing the cause of the pain he was currently feeling.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked and placed a hand on his sheet covered knee as he shook his head violently no, talking about it would make it worse now that he thought about it. "You sure?" This time he nodded in affirmation as she stood up and offered him a hand up which he gladly took. Standing up stiffly he allowed Annie to take away the sheet still clutched in his fingers in a death grip. Forcing himself to move he walked over to where there were a few undershirts in one of his drawers and he tugged one over his head. Must act normal, must act normal, he had to keep it together for her.

"Thank you for not forcing me to talk about it." Finnick managed a fake smile that didn't meet his eyes and she shook her head.

"Stop acting like you're okay when we both know you're not." Annie continued as she finished folding the sheet, placed it on the bed, and walked over to where he was standing and looking a little shaken by the truth of her words.

"How'd you get so good at hiding it? The memories have got to be getting to you too, and not just the memories but the nightmares." He asked and she gave her own little fake smile as she went forward and opened the door for him.

"I learned from one of the best, plus I do admit to having nightmares and the memories bothering me, I just channel that energy into my training or actions so that is can't hold me back and make me suffer." She explained with the pain written in her sea green eyes that hit behind a stray lock of curly dark brown hair. Stepping closer to the girl, Finnick brushed away the stray strand of hand and kissed her forehead with slightly trembling lips.

"Thank you." He murmured into her hair as he pulled her into a hug that she returned with a grateful sigh. Pulling away from the twenty-four year old she gave his arm a squeeze and he smiled at her, a sad smile but one that actually reached his sea green eyes all the same.

"Ready to go down to breakfast then, Finn?"Annie pressed and the slightly older man nodded as she led him down the stairs and to where Hank, Iris, Aya, and Talal were likely enough already eating breakfast. At the moment, he doubted that he could actually eat anything but he forced a cup of coffee down his throat and when Annie pressed him, he managed a few mouthfuls of fruit before his mouth got too dry and he felt the nausea instead rising in the back of his throat.

"I'm going upstairs then to get ready." Finnick announced and stood up to go get ready which in the process nearly knocked over the chair behind him earning a confused look from Aya, Talal, and Iris and a look of sympathy from Hank and Annie. Though she was already ready, Annie stood up and opened her mouth to offer to go with him but he shook his head at her, he had to be okay to remain on his own. Absolutely had to be okay because Snow was forcing him to go on a date tonight with some Capitol lass to his great regret. Pulling on his training shorts, shirt, and shoes, Finnick paused in front of the mirror and took in the sea green eyes haunted by the responsibility of protecting not just Annie anymore but also those two kids from District 12 and Jo as well. She was right, channeling his fear into determination to succeed just might work and make keeping them all safe possible.

"Finn! Iris wants you to hurry up!" Annie called up the stairs and he nodded as he momentarily forgot that she wasn't standing right beside him.

"Coming!" He hollered back a reply and paused only to take a deep breath, channel the ache in his heart, and put on a fake smile that wasn't so hard now that he tried Annie's method. Taking the stairs two at a time, he nearly collided with Talal who gave him a responding glare from his golden eyes hidden behind the carefully stylized locks of dark hair that framed his tan face.

"Watch it Odair." The stylist hissed sounding incredibly like a cat. Cats were always enemies of fishers because they stole their catch. As a fisher, it quickly became obvious that the cat-like stylist and he would not get along.

"Sorry!" The twenty-four year managed with his Capitol charming smile on his face as he ducked under the smaller man's flailing angry arms. Continuing on his mad dash down the stairs, he could hear Talal yelling down the stairs after his quickly disappearing back.

"You will be Odair, you will be sorry for that." The red swirls on his skin stood out flush as he yelled before straightening his suit with a huff and continuing on his way muttering to himself. Shaking his head at the stylist's odd behavior, Finnick leapt into the elevator seconds before the door closed and found himself in it with only Annie.

"Somebody was in a rush." She observed with a smile that he returned and she made note of the way that it reached his eyes with a nod. "Good to see that you're taking my advice."

"Obviously, I only take advice from the best." Her giggle resounded around the small space as they reached their destination and the two stepped out of the doors and into the waiting area where he spotted Jo with her already spiky hair sticking hap hazardously every which way and her gold eyes glaring at any tribute who dared to distract her from her thoughts. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peeta's eyes light up at their appearance and he waved while Katniss looked up from her dazed state long enough to give him a glare for being in a game of killing and too happy. Despite the girl being extremely over protective and suspicious by nature, Finn realized that she had grown on him too and vice versa if the unintended smile at he and Annie meant anything at all.

"What are you going to do this year Finn? They already know about your trident skills." The girl beside him pointed out as they went and sat down on some boxes towards the front and watched as Gloss got called in. Great, he thought, only five more tributes until he had to go prove himself.

"Probably use my new found archery skills and hit a few targets, maybe tie a few knots? It'll be a surprise to them and me, but mostly me, I suppose in the end." He managed with a short bark of a laugh that he bit back quickly as it wasn't becoming of the heartthrob of the Capitol no matter how much he preferred it. "What about you?"

"They have no idea about my knife throwing skills." Annie pointed out kicking her feet and focusing on the floor and her shoes as if they might hold the secrets of the universe, if not that then perhaps the secret to pulling off this rating. "Only thing they saw last time was my knot tying and ability to make a fish hook which isn't as impressive by far." Cashmere was called in now and he watched his girl tap her fingers in nervousness, only four more until he was to go and five until her turn.

"You'll do great Ann, they'll never know what hit them if any of them are remaining from your Games." After she nodded, the pair sat together in silence as they watched Brutus, then Enobaria, followed by Beetee and Wiress. In the time between each name being called, Finnick racked his brains for an intelligent plan and when none came, just continued to practice his counting abilities until his turn came.

"Finnick Odair!" The electronic voice called out and he felt Annie reach for his hand and squeeze it reassuringly before giving him two thumbs up. Nodding back at her he gave her a smile before turning around and straightening his shoulders as he pulled the doors open and entered the room.

"Finnick Odair, District 4." He introduced himself to the Gamemakers who didn't smile but after a nod from Plutarch he turned to where the trident waited for him. Stepping past it without a second glance, he could hear their gasps of surprise and smiled despite himself. He may not enjoy this acting business but that didn't mean that he couldn't have a little fun with it. Picking up the bow and arrows he tested the bow carefully hearing Katniss' voice in his head directing him as she had when he had traded her an hour of trident lessons for some archery practice since Annie had already claimed the knot tying lessons.

"Load. Pull back. Aim. Release. Reload. Simple, no?" Yes Katniss, this would be simple enough for what he meant to do. Pulling the string back he fired the arrows strategically around the target he had covered with a net so that the person looked pinned in place. Feeling the Gamemakers' eyes on him he picked up knives and threw them with less accuracy than Annie but enough to make it obvious that he was re-outlining the person. When he ran out of knives he stepped up to the target and tugged at the already cut net so that when he pulled it away all that remained was the knife and arrow outlined dummy. Humming to himself he walked back, grabbed the trident and threw it so that it made a dull thud to where the heart would be on a real human being.

"I know my words won't count to this evaluation and I don't expect you to even care what I have to say but don't nearly kill us, take away the trap and then deliver the death blow. None of us victors deserves to stand here alive today but since we are, we sure as hell don't deserve to die this way and you know it." He pointed at them with a tan finger before ignoring their hurt expressions as he spun round and walked out without another word. Perhaps he was going to regret this later but at the moment he didn't give a damn, it's not like he was going to live much longer, might as well as express his true opinions before his mouth was clamped shut by death's cold hands. The trip up to his floor went by in a blur and when he reached his floor, he climbed numbly to his room. There wasn't anything left to do but wait and waiting was not his strong suit, not in the least. Curling up on his made bed he glared at the ceiling before vaulting forwards and stripping down to take a shower, the water had always helped him to think and he prayed that this would be the case.

"Finn!" Annie's voice reached him over the noise of the water that had unbeknownst to him, gone cold ages ago due to the fact that he hadn't left the shower since arriving back in his room hours before. Grunting in affirmation as he didn't trust his voice to speak after the steam had surely made his voice rather hoarse, he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist before opening the door and releasing the steam from when the water had still been warm. Jerking on a pair of boxers, he left the towel on the floor of his room as he followed the boxers with a pair of khaki shorts and slipped on a t-shirt before heading down to where the rest waited.

"I'm here, is it time already?" His voice croaked as he spoke and he cringed at the noise as Annie gave him a funny look from where she was perched on the sofa with her curly hair up in a bun and her sea green eyes evaluating him.

"Yes and you're shirt's on inside out." She observed before turning around as he shrugged and plopped down beside her, he was beyond caring about such frivolities as his shirt looking funny. Caesar's voice soon rang out from the television set beckoning Iris, Hank, Aya, and Talal into the room and onto the sofa surrounding it. Finnick found himself barely listening as he saw the scores he expected for the Careers flash on to the screen followed by Beetee and Wiress' respective 7 and 5. His ears perked up however when he heard his name and a 10 flashed across the screen soon followed by Annie's face and the number 8 as well.

"Great job you too!" Iris congratulated them as Finnick gave Annie a hug, her score last time had been a 5 this was a big improvement but not necessarily a good one for her survival rate. Neither of them really gave a damn about their score or Iris' praise, they just wanted their time in these terrible games to end soon so that the stress on them would end, whether in life or death was beyond them both now however.

"Thanks." He croaked out and she gave him a raised perfectly painted on eyebrow at his hoarse voice.

"Get some tea and honey for that voice dearie, you have a date tonight." She ordered and he shuddered inwardly at the idea of his date. Unless the date was with Annie, Finnick had never liked dates as they were too formal for his taste ever not to mention rather not the speed of a down-to-Earth fisherman forced to be someone who hewas not and hating every moment of it.

"I got it!" Talal replied with a serpentine grin as he slipped off to the kitchen snickering to himself, revenge would be his after all.


	6. Unwanted Dates and Making Plans

**Chapter 6: Unwanted Dates and Making Plans**

"Here's a cup of tea for the poor man's voice." Talal offered with a smirk as Iris took the cup from him and passed it to the sea green eyed man who gave him a suspicious look that was worthy of Katniss Everdeen.

"Just drink it already Finnick!" Iris ordered and he obliged with an unhappy look on his face and a suspicious glint still reflected in his sea green orbs. The tea didn't taste too funny so he took another slip as Talal's eyes glinted with an excited spark that made him feel the sudden need to stop after two sips.

"Well that was delicious but I have to go and get ready. But first Annie can I talk to you?" She nodded as the young man stood up and spoke with a voice that sounded less like a dying frog and more like a whisper. "In private, I can't talk that loud." He pointed out with his voice still barely above a whisper and allowed her to lead the way out of the room as he followed with his hands stuffed casually in his pockets. Reaching the stairs the two climbed up them at a meandering rate before Annie walked into his room and he followed. Closing the door behind him with a click, he turned around to see Annie giving him a perplexed look with her sea green eyes as she was wondering what was the big deal.

"Finn?" The younger girl prompted and he shook his head like a dog with water lodged in its ears and not understanding the correct way to remove it. Bringing his lips close to her ear he breathed in a quick whiff of her calming scent of the sea mixed with that of what he could only describe as the sun and fresh cut grass, a scent that most specifically had always calmed him.

"Don't make me go tonight." He breathed out feeling like a little kid and she shook her head sadly even as he happily imagined the prospects of staying and remaining by her side tonight.

"Snow would have your head if you don't go and you're head on a silver platter isn't what you want, now is it?" Annie asked as she walked off to open up his closet doors and looked for a good outfit for him to wear.

"It may not be attached to my shoulders for much longer." Finnick cynically pointed out with his hoarse voice making it sound terribly pessimistic and Annie grew pale at the idea, dammit he had forgotten about Sanders dying from decapitation in front of her, how could he be so stupid! "Sorry for bringing it up." He apologized in a whisper as he saw Annie's eyes reflect the pain that she felt and her hands itch to cover up her ears and go into herself but she overcame it proving just how strong she had become.

"It's alright." She managed looking at him with her lips still pressed in a thin line but her sea green eyes now calm and controlled. Pulling a pair of straight legged jeans off their hanger she proceeded to grab a white v-neck that was slightly see through and a size to small and matched it with a blazer. "Casual yet sexy enough to be the heartthrob of the Capitol." Her explanation didn't make the outfit any better he realized with a sigh as he imagined having to wear long pants, a jacket, and shoes. If he could have gone on the date with no shoes, swim trunks and an old ratty t-shirt he would have taken that route over anything else. Clothes to him had always been so constricting, especially after spending the first fourteen years of his life in swim trunks and old shirts with the exception of a few special occasions that occurred very few and far between.

"Thanks." He whispered stepping closer so that he was standing mere inches away from her and again talking in her ear to preserve his voice that was thankfully coming back slowly but surely.

"It's no big. Now what did you have to tell me that you couldn't say in front of Hank, Iris, Aya, and Talal?" Moving his head so that she could see his face, he gave her a one eyebrow up expression of incredulity and she sighed. "Okay most things can't be said in front of Iris, Aya, and Talal but seriously, Finn, what is it already?"

"Don't trust Talal." Finnick rasped back, "He did something to my tea because I accidently ran in to him."

"I doubt that he did…" She began and he shook his head at her stubbornness before interrupting her with what he believed was the undeniable truth.

"He definitely did, not as bad as Snow's but it's still a hallucinogenic of some sort. I know the signs of poisons and you don't so just keep an eye on him and stick close to Hank until I get back tonight, okay?" Something in the desperation in his voice made Annie listen, no matter what she had thought about Talal before she believed him now which was all that mattered at this point.

"Okay." The girl replied and wrapped her arms around him in a hug that he returned with a grateful sigh. Pulling away she looked him up and down with a small smile gracing her lips as she smacked his arm good naturedly. "Now go get ready hotshot, your Capitol lady of the night awaits."

"I wish you were that lady." He whispered back before he knew what he was saying and the twenty-four year old blushed a little at his forwardness.

"I do too but I wouldn't be your lady for just a night, I'd stay with you until you told me to leave." Her reply along with her own flushed cheeks made him smile as he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

"I'd never tell you to leave." Finnick pointed out truthfully before pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that she returned until he was forced to pull away to avoid coughing into her mouth. Sniffling from where he'd turned away from Annie and looking back at her as she held back a laugh as he straightened back up.

"Somebody has a cold." She teased as she paused to stand on her tip toes and kissed his cheek before leaving the safety of his closeness with a look of regret. Picking up the pants and shirt, she placed them in his arms and gave him a stern look that was ruined by the laughter that remained in her sea green eyes. "Now go get dressed!"

"Yes maim!" He whisper yelled back giving her a salute and standing at attention before walking over to the bathroom with a glance back at the girl he loved who gave him a smile. She may not ever like seeing him go out with other woman but she did understand the necessity of it and knew how much he regretted getting into this mess. Not to mention the fact that he didn't like a single one of those women, he was just an actor who only was able to go off stage when she was around. Pulling off the shorts and swapping them for pants he proceeded to remove his shirt and chuckled despite himself, it really was inside out. Stepping out of the restroom, he found Annie waiting for him with his jacket in one hand and his shoes in the other.

"You're going to be late slow poke Sally." Her teasing made him laugh even more which was a problem for his suffering throat. Taking the jacket from her, he reveled in the spark that jumped between their hands as he brushed her smaller one. Perhaps it had been static electricity but he sincerely doubted that, it had to be a real connection, absolutely had to be. Slipping it on and shrugging his shoulders to be sure it fell the right way, she passed him the shoes which he slipped on as she stepped back to judge her handiwork.

"Is it good enough to pass inspection?" He asked with a joking grin as she held back a laugh before stepping on her tip toes and ruffling his bronze curls so that they looked the perfect combination that was balanced between hot and messy.

"Now it is." She replied as he stepped forward, took her hand, and kissed her lips again in a good bye, "Was that your one more for the road?"

"Of course!" Annie laughed at his silliness as he squeezed her hand before walking out the door with only one backward glance and a wave. After clomping loudly down the stairs in his shoes, he nodded to Iris and Hank who were watching the rest of Caesar's commentary in separate seats.

"It's at the Acquerello, do you remember where that is?" Iris asked and Finnick turned around and nodded at her. "Good, we'll see you later on tonight then." With that final dismissal he stepped out the door and decided to take the stairs rather than the elevator, he needed to feel his muscles ache a little he supposed plus the idea of movement made him feel better. Opening the door he made it down two flights of stairs before crashing into Haymitch who was coming up the stairs, holding a bottle of what smelled like white liquor in a brown paper bag, and looking like he was about ready to blow his top.

"Watch it!" He growled at the younger victor before looking up and seeing who it was and taking a deep breath. "Sorry for being a little harsh but you made me nearly spill my drink." His gray eyes, so like Katniss', looked the twenty-four year old up and down with a raised eyebrow. "Going on a date tonight Finny-boy?"

"Snow is making me. Have you talked to Johanna recently?" Finnick replied in a barely hoarse voice that was coming back due to lack of use not Talal's stupid tea. In the mean time he was praying that that stupid nickname hadn't gotten around that fast, it was embarrassing from Jo alone but from all the other victors it would be absolutely unbearable.

"A few moments ago and luckily enough you were next on my list. Do you want to make Snow pay for it, for forcing you to be a sex slave for him over the past few years?" The older victor asked him and Finnick's sea green eyes grew wide, how did this guy know his secret? "I knew your secret because Snow tried it on me and I denied it and he instead killed my poor Ma and little brother. You were smarter to go along with it, kept them alive longer especially that girl who came with you, Anna I believe her name is."

"It's Annie." He corrected him as he automatically came to the defense of his partner. Looking at the man with his narrowed gray eyes and the stench of alcohol on his breath, Finnick knew that he was telling the truth. There was not a single doubt in him that Snow wouldn't try it with more than one victor, probably would have completely corrupted naïve Peeta had he not pulled off the star-crossed lovers act with Katniss. "And yes, I wouldn't mind making him pay for it." He looked at Haymitch carefully calculating the variables before crossing his arms across his chest in his Katniss stance. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Aside from drinking this whole bottle thanks to my crazy teenage tributes acting out and being marked with twelves?" Laughing a harsh bark that sounded a little too close to Finnick's own real laugh, he leaned forward so that Finnick could smell the stench of the white liquor on the man's collar. "I have a plan to get you guys out." Ignoring the stench, Finnick leaned in even closer as the man whispered the whole thing in his ear. "You're a 100% with us then?" Haymitch asked in his normal voice as he stepped back and took a swig of his drink.

"Certainly." Finnick affirmed as he realized that this was the plan he had been looking for, the plan that would allow him to save Annie as well as the three younger tributes who had grown on him a little too much to allow him to kill them.

"Good, on the day of the Games wear this as your token." Haymitch continued and pulled a golden bangle on his wrist which Finnick slipped on his own wrist. "You can tell Annie but not Peeta or Katniss under any circumstance until it's over, you understand?" He nodded and the older victor began to walk off before turning around and adding one last thing. "Don't let either of them see that band either, Peeta is sure that he wants you and Annie as allies but Katniss is not, when the Quell begins then you can show her but until then."

"She can't see it." Finnick finished for him and Haymitch nodded before turning around and beginning to continue his trek up the stairs.

"Oh and Finnick?" The older victor turned around to face him and he nodded wondering what else there was to say, "Good luck."

"Thanks Haymitch." Haymitch waved a hand at him as if to wave it off looking just like Katniss, she was a lot like her mentor Finnick thought as he continued down the stairs and leapt down the last flight feeling lighter than air. Everything was going to be okay now, he had a plan that would keep Annie alive along with the others. Nothing could go wrong now! Pushing open the door he felt himself go oddly lightheaded but he ignored it and continued on his way to the restaurant. Walking in the door he asked the waiter where the lady was waiting for him and the server pointed him to a table where a woman sat looking at him. Straightening his jacket sleeves as he walked over, he bent at the waist and took her hand in his to kiss it.

"How beautiful you are tonight Mrs. Colton. That dress looks absolutely ravishing on you my dear." He complemented her with his most charming smile on and causing the older woman to blush.

"Please call me Kathleen." She replied blinking her long fake lashes in what he assumed was what she figured would be cute. However she lost the cuteness in her ability to move her lashes quickly enough to pull off a flutter. "Are you not just the charmer Mr. Odair? Is it alright if I might call you Finnick?"

"I was just about to request that you did Kathleen." He purred as he took his seat across from her and gave her another charming smile before looking down at his menu. Another bout of lightheadedness hit him and he frowned down at the menu, what was going on?

"Well it is a pleasure to meet you Finnick. Do you know why I invited you here tonight?" She asked with her bright orange wig bouncing with every word and her blue contact eyes shining under her painted on orange eyebrows. Shaking his head he saw black spots and momentarily stopped listening to whatever it was Kathleen was saying and nearly passed out then and there. When it went away he found her staring at him perplexedly and put on a real fake smile that didn't reach his sea green eyes that were still reflecting the pain and confusion he was feeling.

"I'm sorry, I was distracted by your beauty. Would you please say that again?" He managed through what was becoming flashes of reality and darkness. Oh no! It had to be whatever it was that Talal put in his tea! Must have had a delayed gestation period before it activated or something, that cat-like stylist was smarter than he had originally given him credit for.

"Are you alright Finnick? You look a little pale." Kathleen observed leaning forward as he felt his own eyes begin to flutter as he tried to not pass out, tries desperately even as the image of her orange hair and blue face swam in and out of focus.

"Not really." He wheezed out as his air supply grew thin and the dark spots appeared before his eyes. The last thing he remembered was hitting the ground with a thud as the sounds faded away and everything went completely and utterly dark as Kathleen screamed in fear.


	7. Nightmares and Not Wanting to be Alone

**Chapter 7: Nightmares and Not Wanting to be Alone**

_Swimming, he was swimming like he had as a child but in this reality it was darker than a night with a new moon under the water. It was so dark that Finnick was not 100% sure that his hands were moving in front of his face as he frantically moved upwards trying to reach the surface before his lungs burst from the amount of poisonous carbon dioxide contained in them. Just when he thought he wasn't going to reach the surface he caught sight of a spot of light that burned his dilated sea green eyes but he didn't care. Light meant air, and air meant life. Kicking with his burning leg muscles once, twice, now three times he burst to the surface and breathed in the life-giving oxygen in huge gulps. Sighing in relief once his ragged breathing had gone back to what was more normal than the gasps it had been a moment earlier, he took the time to look around at his surroundings. From the look of things he was bobbing in a dark sea all on his own with no sign of life in sight aside from his own still rapidly beating heart beating in his bird cage chest. Wait a moment, since when did he have a bird cage chest? He could've sworn he'd grown out of that when he was fifteen and finally had that growth spurt his parents had promised him and he had luckily survived long enough to enjoy._

_ "What's going on?" Finnick asked himself as he caught sight of his reflection in the water and instead of seeing his twenty-four year-old chiseled chin and the straight pearly white teeth that made up his charming smile, he was looking at the ever moving crooked smile he'd had at age fourteen paired with the scared sea green eyes and the freckles that stood out on the bridge of his nose. "Why am I fourteen again?" He inquired from his audience but the jet black waves and blinding sun gave no comprehensible answer. Throwing his shorter and thinner form backwards, he floated upwards and closed his eyes as he contemplated what was going on and what he remembered happening to him last. "I was on a date with a woman with bright orange hair and bright blue eyes." His thoughts, though not meant to be spoken aloud, were quickly swallowed up in a sharp gust of wind that stole them away as soon as it reached his mouth. What bothered him more than the fact that he was unaware that he was talking to himself, was the smell that the wind carried, blood and roses._

_ "Hello little Finny." A voice growled from somewhere behind him causing the fourteen year old to open his eyes too fast and get blinded by the light momentarily before he was able to focus on the location of the voice. By this time the speaker was gone but between the recognizable voice and smell alone he was able to determine their identity._

_ "Snow!" He roared, or attempted to until his voice chose that moment to crack making him sound scared. But he wasn't scared, the great Finnick Odair never got scared. At least he didn't remember ever being scared when it was himself alone involved in any fight but when Annie's life got put on the line too, he had always been scared._

_ "Scared little Finny?" Snow replied with a wheezy laugh that made the scent of roses and blood grow stronger and nearly caused Finnick to gag in disgust. Facing whatever it was the voice was coming from he gave it a one eyelid pulled down and tongue sticking out looking in an immature expression before nodding as if to say 'Ha that showed him!'_

_ "I'm not scared of you!" He yelled out with his sea green eyes flashing with determination because at that moment he wasn't. Suddenly he felt his trident appear in his hand and without pausing even for a second to think it through, he threw it straight at whatever that voice was coming from. The answering scream was not the one he expected, it was too feminine, too familiar, too much like – oh no… "ANNIE!"The fourteen year old screamed as the realization hit him that he had just thrown his trident at the only girl he'd ever loved and her lack of response meant the worst._

_ "Oh yes your precious Annie's here too. Forgot to mention that. It seems that your trident found her for you, wonderful throw too Finny, it went clean through her I can see the points sticking out the back!" Snow's voice continued unperturbed as Finnick felt the bile rise in his throat and a horror-filled expression fell upon his face. It was true he'd killed her, he was the heartless bastard who caused the death of the bravest girl he knew, or better yet known because she was dead now thanks to him._

_ "What have I done?"He asked the waves who only continued to ripple around him as he felt the tears he'd never cried spilling from his sea green eyes and down his freckly crooked nose. _

_ "Well for starters you killed her and now, my little Finny, I plan to end you too." Snow cackled to himself as the water began to rush towards him and a white fin cut across the water towards him. Closing his eyes he braced himself for the impact but when he felt the creature crash into him and the pain ripped through his lean form he screamed a blood curdling cry and his eyes flew open to…_ a machine beeping at his side and his own scream still echoing in his ears. Everything was white for a moment until he managed to focus his eyes on the man he least wanted to see sitting in a chair beside his own client Kathleen Colton.

"Where am I?" Finnick asked before the nausea from Snow's scent of roses and blood hit him and he stumbled from the plain hospital bed to the nearest trash can and lost what was left of his breakfast from earlier that day. When he fell backwards into a seated position with a now completely empty stomach he glanced back at where the pair of Capitol denizens remained waiting for him to finish. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he turned and sat with his shirtless back against the wall and his jean covered knees pulled into his chest. "What happened to me?"

"Well Finn, it appears that some terrible person tried to poison one of the victors and even though you seem to be okay now, I want to get to the bottom of this." Snow replied all charm and smiles because one of his Capitol citizens was in the room. Kathleen nodded along with what he said as though it was the most sensible advice in the world since it came from, who she believed to be, the most sensible leader she'd ever known. "So do you know who did this to you Finn? Don't be shy."

"I wouldn't want to offend the lady anymore than I already have. Such topics are not something to bring up around a love interest, I wouldn't want her to feel nervous." Finnick purred smoothly bringing a blush to Kathleen's cheeks and earning a nod of approval from Snow, a nod that made him shudder on the inside from more than the disgusting taste of the bile that remained in his mouth or the scent of blood and roses still filling the room.

"Why thank you for your concern Finnick dearest, I'll just be waiting out in the hall." Kathleen continued and stood up in her bright blue dress created from what appeared to be a bunch of shapes sewn together to create what was meant to be an outfit. As her heels clicked past him and out the door, Snow's expression grew more cruel and serpentine with every step she took away.

"I'll see you soon then!" He fired back with his charming smile that disappeared as soon as the door clicked closed behind her and he turned to look at Snow with his sea green eyes narrowed and as suspicious as Katniss' gray eyes looked the majority of the time.

"If they hadn't found that poison in your blood stream Finny, I can assure you that your family would not have been faring very well." The president threatened in a voice that was akin to a hiss and Finnick didn't doubt his word, Snow followed through on his threats especially those that had to do with family, most specifically his family.

"I am more than a aware. Would I also be correct in assuming that you know who it was that poisoned me?" Finnick continued with a cynical smile gracing his face as he placed a hand against the wall to help himself up into a standing position.

"You'd be correct again." Snow acknowledged before he stood up as well and gave the young man a rather nasty look with his snakelike eyes. "Don't make his fate yours Finny." The District 4 fisher's son nodded and watched as Snow left and Kathleen re-entered the room with a smile.

"I'm sorry about what happened to you Finnick." She began as she stood in front of him and passed him his jacket from earlier. "They had to rip you your shirt to use the machine to re-start your heart but at least your jacket is alright. I'm sorry too that our date couldn't happen, it makes me sad to let you go."

"A shirt is a fine trade for life and don't be too sorry it makes you look sad and I don't want you to be sad." He pointed out cupping a tan hand under her chin and tilting it up so that Kathleen's neon blue eyes met his natural sea green orbs. "As much as I would love to get to know you better, I think it's clear that this date will have to wait until after I've won the Quell." His ambitious talk made her smile a sad smile as she closed the distance between them and pressed a wet kiss to his mouth. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, perhaps we'll meet again in another tomorrow." He finished as she pulled away and he kissed her cheek before giving her another bow and leaving the hospital room with a charming smile and wave. Walking with heavy steps down the hall, he was immensely glad that the poison hadn't been fatal and that the hospital was in walking distance of the tribute's quarters. Each step he took felt heavier as his already spent body felt the exhaustion from fighting off the drug and nearly dying. By the time he reached the front doors of the lobby, each step felt like his feet were made of lead.

"Finnick!" Hank exclaimed from where he sat next to a really drunk Haymitch on the curb and held a bottle of water in his aging hands. "We heard what happened." He began but Finnick just waved it off, right then nothing mattered but getting his broken body into his soft bed with Annie curled up in his arms.

"I'm fine now, just need sleep." He grunted out with the pain he was feeling evident in his voice and his dilated sea green eyes. Hank nodded and slipped his arm around Finnick's form so that he was being half-carried and half-walking on his own. Haymitch followed them into the elevator looking like a lost puppy with rosy cheeks and the stench of alcohol still on his breath. When the two District 4 victor's reached their floor, Haymitch remained in the elevator and gave them a silly looking wave and wide grin before the door closed and he continued up to his floor. Knocking on the door with his boot, Hank waited while Iris unlocked it complaining about punctuality until she saw Finnick with his head down and still wheezing from the exertion of walking all the way back.

"Oh my goodness Finnick!" She exclaimed as she herded them in and closed the door behind them. "The hospital wanted to keep you another night though." Her high-pitched voice with it's funny accent continued as the weak young man shook his head.

"President Snow changed their minds." He gasped out as Hank let him go and he lowered himself gingerly into the nearest chair. Upon hearing the door open and close combined with Iris' unmistakable voice, Annie chose that moment to appear and caught sight of her former mentor looking about ready to keel over any moment. "Just need to get some rest, then I'll be fine." The twenty-four year old managed with less of a wheeze than before as his sea green eyes focused on her similarly colored eyes filled only with concern.

"I'll help you get him up the stairs Hank." Annie offered as the older victor gave the younger man a hand up. Hank nodded his thanks and took one arm while Annie took the other and the odd looking trio headed up the stairs. Once they had gotten Finnick seated on the bed, Hank left Annie to help get the twenty-four year old out of his jacket and shoes and ensure that he went to sleep. Slipping the blazer off his shoulders she tossed it in an unceremonious mess into the nearest chair as he tried to untie his own shoes and eventually gave up and just kicked them at the wall with the last of his energy. With Annie's help, he managed to slip under the covers and was about to fall asleep until his heart dropped when she made as if to leave the room, to leave him alone.

"Wait." Finnick begged and she turned around and gave him a questioning look, "Please stay with me, I almost died today and it made me realize how much I'd lose if I just slipped away. I don't want to lose you."

"You don't have to, I promised now to go anywhere and I don't plan to ever." She pointed out with a smile as she turned off the light and crawled under the covers beside him. "Now go to sleep Finny-boy." There it was that nickname again but somehow it was alright coming from her lips as she pressed them to his warm cheek before snuggling up against his chest. That poison may have complicated things a bit but he was still ecstatic because he now had a plan to keep the girl in his arms safe and nothing could ruin the excitement he felt about that. He'd tell her the plan tomorrow he decided, but for now he was content to sleep with her in his arms and hopefully get better, no plan was going to save her if he couldn't get his energy back so that he could fight for her, for them all.


	8. A Small Rebellion of Their Own

**Chapter 8: A Small Rebellion of Their Own**

That morning he was lucky enough to not have to worry about being coached or coaching anyone so he didn't get out of bed until nearly noon. At around 10 he heard Iris knock at the door and Hank grumble at her to leave him alone. The real reason though that he woke up was when he'd rolled over in a half-asleep state and noticed the place where Annie was supposed to be was cold and empty. Sitting up quickly he glanced around the now brightly lit room and winced as he felt his head pound in response. Standing up he realized that what he felt was akin to the feeling that he'd had after hanging out with Haymitch, Hank, and Chaff after a rather painful Games when none of their district's tributes had won, the next morning he'd had what Hank called a hangover and Haymitch called "a headache from hell". Considering the fact that he hadn't had anything to drink last night, it couldn't have been a hangover but it was definitely a terrible headache worthy of being "a headache from hell".

"Morning sleepyhead." Annie teased as she walked into the room carrying a glass of water and two red pills. He must have been giving the medicine a funny look because she chuckled as she sat down on the bed looking relaxed in a pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt with her dark curls pulled back in a loose ponytail, she laughed at his expression before explaining. "It's some, medicine the hospital sent over. They said it would take away the pain for the next couple of days."

"They make stuff that strong?" Finnick asked as she dropped the medicine in his waiting hand and passed him the glass of water. At her nod, he shrugged and tossed the pills in and swallowed quickly praying that the medicine wouldn't leave an aftertaste. Following the pills with a couple of swigs of water he smiled as he felt the medicine begin to work and the dull ache in his head started to abate little by little. "Works fast." He remarked as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and turned so that he was sitting beside the twenty-two year old.

"Good thing too, you were pretty out of it last night when Hank carried you in." She told him as she kicked her barefoot against the comforter of his bed, "Everyone was worried, I was really worried." Her voice grew softer towards the end and he felt terrible, it wasn't even his fault and he felt awful for making her worry about him.

"I know and I'm sorry, I tasted the drug from the start and I should have known better than to continue to drink that stupid tea. Hell, I should have known better than to drink any of it to begin with since I knew Talal was acting suspicious and…" He probably would have continued beating himself up if Annie hadn't placed a tinier hand over his mouth to make him stop.

"Shush, beating yourself up won't solve anything." Annie ordered him and he sighed because he knew she was right, he couldn't change the past but perhaps he could change the future.

"Fine." Finnick allowed before turning to her and giving her a serious look, "On a completely unrelated note have you talked to Haymitch recently?" Cocking her head to the side, he watched as she thought about it before shaking her head no.

"He came to the door to ask about you but that was before I got up and long before you did." She mused taping a finger to her chin, "Why do you want to know?"

"Well because he's got a plan that might save not just you and me but also Jo, Peeta, and your new friend Katniss." Her answering gasp of excitement made him smile as he gestured to her to lean closer so that he could whisper it in her ear like it was a huge secret, which in all reality it was. "So you're okay with us doing this? We're not the priority in this case but Haymitch promises to get us out."

"I doubt he is as strict about his promises as you but I am in too, I couldn't kill Katniss or Jo and even though I don't know Peeta as well I believe it would break Katniss if I took him out." Annie affirmed as she mulled over the people she couldn't ever hurt, ever. "Then again I don't want to kill anyone especially after seeing too many die over the years since my Games and being a part of the senseless killing during my own." Clearly she was thinking about Sanders there as well as all the times he had come back home after mentoring a particularly bad Games and losing both tributes in particularly terrible ways.

"You and Peeta are the sort of few and far between good people who have won so far, I doubt either of you could kill a fly in good conscience." She frowned at this and mimed throwing a line back and then casting it forwards as her way of asking how her fishing fit into that equation. "Fishing doesn't count because it's for food, unless you're secretly a cannibal because if so, I think I might need to rethink my sleeping arrangement." He winked to ensure her that he was joking and she laughed, cannibalism was something that had never appealed to her especially after one of her teachers in Career training had mentioned that he would resort to eating his students after a mere three days of being locked in a room with them without food. The memory of it still made her want to gag.

"Never have I ever contemplated it especially after what Mr. Rowan said." Annie reassured him and saw him shudder at the memory of Wren Rowan, he was a master of survival skills as well as the most eccentric man you would ever meet. "But enough of that, Aya is getting two of us ready for tonight now that Snow has asked Talal to dine with him tonight." Finnick knew what Snow was getting at there even if Annie didn't, Talal wasn't going to see another sunrise after dinner with Snow. Oh it may look like an accident but he knew better, Snow could make it look like as much of an accident as he wanted but Finnick could always see his touch in every political killing.

"Is this your way of saying we need to get ready for tonight now?" The girl shook her head and he ran a hand through his bronze curls, "Now I'm confused."

"I meant we need to prepare for the interview soon Finn, we have a bit of time now to do whatever we want cause Hank just assumes that you're good at interviews and can help me if I need it." She exclaimed with a quiet laugh at his previous comment and he chuckled along with her once he understood.

"Well how much time do we have exactly Annie? I don't want to go shower, change, and eat and then run out of time. We only have so many hours left until the Quell and I don't want to waste a single one of them." The young man explained before pausing as she gave him a one eyebrow raised look. "Not that going to die is a big worry now but the plan doesn't allow for much free time even after we get out."

"We've got enough time to go swim in the pool above the training room but only after you get a bite to eat. You need the energy and I'm sure Snow would kill you if you got too skinny and unattractive to customers." She pointed out with a slightly put-out look in her sea green eyes that turned to slight surprise when Finnick supped a tan hand under her chin which forced her to look up at him.

"That part of my life is over after the interviews tonight, only person I need to be attractive for is you." He pointed out being his usual charming self and earning a smirk from Annie.

"Is that the best that you've got hotshot?" She asked and he blanched as she chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I'm only kidding!" Removing his hand from her chin she intertwined their fingers and squeezed his hand before pulling hers away. "I'm sorry about that Finn, it was only a joke and trust me you'll always be attractive to me. I've seen you sick as a dog and still thought that you were the sexiest man alive. Now I'm going to go put on my bathing suit and some real clothes and meet you at the dining room table so that we can put some food in your stomach." Smacking her hand against his six-pack she pulled it away and shook it in the air with a whimper of pain. "Damn those are strong!"

"Teach you to mess with the abs-machine!" He teased her back and she smirked as she walked out the door and he chuckled to himself. Once she was out the door, he stood up stiffly and stretched his long limbs and tight back before opening his drawers and searching for swim trunks and a plain white t-shirt. Slipping on the clothes he grabbed a pair of flip flops and walked calmly down the stairs to an Annie, who was now wearing jean shorts and a tank top, was being berated by Iris for not wearing a sun dress.

"Manners Annie! That is why girls and young women wear dresses!" The Capitol woman exclaimed as Finnick walked up behind her and chuckled which gave the unsuspecting woman quite a fright.

"Then why are you wearing a pants suit Iris?" He asked as he reached for a piece of toast and began buttering it with the chocolate nut spread he had only as of yet found in the Capitol. Only thing he would ever miss about the Capitol, he decided, was their chocolate nut spread. That stuff was perfect for a man with a sweet-tooth because it wasn't all sugar but also had some healthy qualities about it.

"That is no matter Finnick! And you sir need to eat healthier!" Iris continued snatching the half spread toast from his hand and tossing it into the open trash can.

"That was my breakfast!" Finnick pointed out as he swiped a finger into the jar of chocolate spread and licked his favorite spread. Iris had gone so red with anger he was sure that there was soon to be smoke erupting from her ears.

"Unacceptable!" She exclaimed and passed him a bowl of fruit which he proceeded to dip in his chocolate spread with a happy childish smile. "And now you have gone and taken a healthy thing and made it worse!" Her hiss made him want to laugh out loud with his natural barking laugh but he withheld the urge and instead used his Capitol chortle.

"It's alright Iris," He began and looped an arm around the woman's shoulders, "I have a fast metabolism so I can eat whatever I want now." Shrugging off his arm she stepped away and gave him a glare.

"How about it just is not mature, how about that Mr. Odair!" She continued as she stomped out of the room and Finnick finally allowed himself to burst out with his real bark of a laugh. After a moment Annie appeared at his elbow with a grin and snatched a spoonful of his spread before he pulled it away.

"That's mine!" The grown up man whined as the girl beside him laughed as hard as he had ever seen her in the five years they'd been friends.

"But sharing is caring!" Annie finally managed between the chuckles and he started laughing too. Licking a bit of icing off her spoon she got some on her upper lip that she proceeded to lick off with an exclamation of happiness. So much for swimming, the two ended up spending all their time in the kitchen dipping all sorts of tasty treats in Finn's chocolate nut spread and acting like little children as Iris just avoided the kitchen.

Soon they were called to their separate rooms however where Finn was met by his prep team who had him go take a quick shower before waxing his chest and making his bronze curls look perfectly styled. Giving him a suit with a sea green tie, he slipped on the pants, shirt and jacket while they nearly hung him while tying his tie and then cut off the circulation in his feet as they tied his shoes too tight. Pulling at his collar to loosen it, Finnick left the room and entered the elevator still fighting to loosen his clothes and absent-mindedly kicking his feet until the blood started flowing through them again. The walk over to the stage wasn't too bad which was why the prep team had gotten him ready in his room instead of backstage like they had to do with all the girls. Spotting Hank waiting for him at the entrance, he cracked a grin and waved at the older victor who sighed in relief when he saw him looking healthy again.

"Good to see you feelin' better." The older victor greeted him with a handshake that he heartily returned.

"It's good to be feeling better." He shot back with a smile that reached his eyes, "Where do they want me to wait?"

"They already have you guys all lined up in the back." Hank explained as the younger man followed him through the back door and into the waiting room where he found himself facing Katniss in a huge wedding dress that seemed to weigh down the girl's already slender shoulders. She and Jo seemed to be talking about something that made the younger girl smile an understanding grin that lit up her gray eyes as she got whatever it was that Jo was talking about now. As the District 7 victor walked off, Finnick took her place with a smile as he looked her up and down in her wedding dress.

"Going to laugh at me too Finnick?" She asked him with a sad smile that made his heart ache, here was a person he felt a desire to protect in a big brother way hurting and he definitely didn't want to make it worse. Wiping all previous comments from his mind he dropped the charming façade as he spoke to her.

"I'm sorry about your wedding." Despite her look of shock at his refusal to tease even though the opportunity was clearly presenting itself. Nodding her thanks, Finnick returned it with a real smile that met his eyes, one of the first she'd seen from him. Turning around and slipping through the crowd easily despite his tall form, he soon reached District 4's allotted spot as the opening tune began to play and Annie rushed over from where she had been hidden behind the menacing form of Brutus as the warrior moved away from where he'd been standing and blocking the slender forms of Annie, Beetee, and Wiress. It took all he had in him to not gape at the twenty-two year old's beauty. Her dark curls were free of their usual ponytail and cascaded down the back of her sea green dress which was unique with it's realistic swirls of a lighter sea green that graced the bottom of her dress in an attempt to recreate sea foam. At that moment, her sea green eyes met his and he smiled at her as he barely resisted the urge to pull her close and kiss her light pink lips that still looked soft and natural despite what he knew was large amounts of make up on her face.

"Somebody looks speechless." Annie teased and he chuckled to himself, if only she knew how beautiful she looked to him. "You nervous or something?"

"I'm not nervous." He paused as he shook his head so that he could focus, "And by the way you look beautiful." She blushed as he forced his eyes to look away and down at the poem in his hand. It was going to be part of his interview, he'd found in a dusty library one day and it had reminded him of Annie. Without him noticing, his turn snuck up on him and he was soon being led out and walking with heavy steps towards Caesar's chair wearing his false charming smile and waving as the women blew kisses his way. Most of the interview passed without a hitch and he didn't even realize he was really talking into about halfway through when Caesar asked if he had any last words for a special someone.

"I do actually Caesar, I have a poem here for her." Clearing his throat he read over the familiar words as a hush filled the audience.

"**i carry your heart with me(i carry it in**

**my heart)i am never without it(anywhere**

**i go you go, my dear ;and whatever is done**

**by only me is your doing, my darling)**

**i fear no fate(for you are my fate, my sweet)i want**

**no world(for beautiful you are my world, my true)**

**and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant**

**and whatever a sun will always sing is you**

**here is the deepest secret nobody knows**

**(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud**

**and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows**

**higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)**

**and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart**

**i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)**"

When he fell silent the sound of applause was deafening and looking out at the audience he saw that many women had passed out at his words and he smirked inwardly. They may never know who the girl he loved was, but he knew that Annie knew exactly who the poem was for and that's all that mattered. Standing up beside the other victor's who'd finished he watched the other interviews from Jo cursing the Capitol (what else was new?) to Katniss' dress burning up until all that was left was a dress that made her look like a Mockingjay. The biggest surprise was the huge bomb that Peeta dropped about Katniss being pregnant which he would have believed had he not gotten to know Katniss. Not only could she not keep a secret like that, she wasn't the sort who ever wanted a child, especially one who would potentially have to face their own Reaping day. Annie was, again, at his side as all the victors joined hands and raised their interlocked fingers as a sign of their own personal rebellion. Caesar soon had them turn off the lights so that the crowd couldn't see but not one of the victor's put down their hands until they pulled them all apart. No way would that last into the Quell but Finnick didn't care, all of them, for a moment there, had stood against the tyranny of the Capitol proving that they could do it and indirectly proving that their plan could work.

**The poem is "[i carry your heart (with me) i carry it in]" by the forever great and rebellious himself e. , if you've never read any of his poems I sincerly suggest you do, he is amazing. On another note I wanted to appologize in advance, school starts back up tomorrow so my next few updates may not be as consistent as they have been for the first 8 chapters due to being busy with school stuff. I'll still try to update asap but I don't like to make promises I can't keep so again, sorry in advance. **


	9. Let the Games Begin

**Chapter 9: Let the Games Begin**

Following their "little rebellion of their own" (well that's what Finnick called it anyhow), Annie and the aforementioned young man found themselves being hustled off to their rooms by an ecstatic Iris and a rather worried looking Hank. Iris, like most of the Capitol citizens, saw their hand holding as simply being a sign of camaraderie and found it to be cute at best. Hank, on the other hand, understood the underlying message of their action and knew that Snow's response would not be to think it had been "cute" but rather to feel a desire to punish the victors more so than just tossing them back in a fight to the death could. Due to the large numbers of people who would likely enough want to ask them about the linked hands thing, Hank and Iris were forced to wait while Finnick and Annie changed into common clothes so that they could go undercover and hide from the dreaded fans and admirers. Out of all the people he'd ever had to hide from, these were probably the least terrifying because they, at least as far as he knew, didn't want to slit his throat or stab him in the back.

"That was amazing! I can't believe that we pulled that off!" Annie exclaimed as soon as they entered the District 4 changing area as she grabbed a pair of skinny jeans, a hoodie, and black lace-up shoes before disappearing behind a screen to change. Sighing to himself, he realized that this is what had been worrying him most. The twenty-two year old surely understood the Games and the victors' mentality yet she seemed to be too optimistic at the moment to even question the punishment they could receive because of this. Not to mention the fact that despite holding hands and standing up against the Capitol together, many of the victors would still be trying to kill them come morning, come the dreaded countdown.

"It was spectacular, a great little rebellion of our own. However, you do know how much punishment we could face for daring to pull of such a stunt?" Slipping off his jacket and tugging off the suffocating tie, he snatched his own pair of jeans, a hoodie, and sneakers before continuing to pull off his clothes in the middle of the room. No matter how many times he'd been told by Annie that stripping down in front of people (or in the middle of the room) made others uncomfortable, he had yet to find shame in standing in just his boxers in front of a bunch of people. It was mostly hats off to his time as the heartthrob of the Capitol that he had gained such a high opinion and acceptance of himself, but ever since he was a child he hadn't cared what others thought and felt about what he wore or, better yet, didn't wear.

"I am well aware of the risks but trust me it was worth it, I can feel it." She was referring, of course to the feel she had always had for when something was right or wrong. In District 4 it was commonly called intuition but Mags preferred to call it 'the touch' and so far the only person Finnick knew who had it was Annie and perhaps Peeta, but with the latter it was too soon for him to know for sure. "This stunt wasn't nearly as bad as the one Katniss and Peeta pulled during their ratings, she wouldn't tell me the details when I ran into her tonight but I have a feeling it would definitely have fueled Anti-Capitol sentiments if anyone saw their representations."

"I don't know anything about that, but I hope your touch is working right, we don't need any unknown variables to factor into the already complicated equation that makes up our plan." He heard himself point out logically as Annie stepped out of the room just as he buttoned the top button of his jeans. The younger girl made a funny noise before covering her eyes as he chuckled, pausing only to zip up the hoodie over his bare chest, he walked over to where she stood and pulled her hands away from her sea green eyes.

"A warning would have been nice!" She pointed out as she double checked that he had all his clothes on earning another chuckle from the bronze haired and sea green eyed twenty-four year old man.

"Like you haven't seen me in just my boxer shorts before." He pointed out as he sat down to pull on the tennis shoes and stood up shooting her a wink and lopsided smile. "It's also cute by the way when you act so innocent."

"I am innocent!" Annie argued with a grin of her own dying to cross her lips even as she tried desperately to look serious. "And I've told you countless times not to undress in the middle of a room, it freaks people out."

"Mm hmm." Finnick hummed as he flipped up his hoodie and she walked up behind him and smacked his shoulder good naturedly. "Ouch!" His feigned yelp of pain made her laugh as her attempt as seriousness crumbled away faster than a chocolate chip cookie dunked in a cup of milk. "Abuse!" He joked as he ran out the door and nearly ran into Iris who gave him a pointed glare, apparently barreling into people must not be good manners. Were all the Capitol representatives as strict about manners as she was? Making a point of it, he planned to ask Katniss, Peeta, and Jo if theirs were as strict as his was.

"Manners!" Was all she had to hiss as he nodded his head up and down faster than a broken bobble head. Annie appeared at his shoulder upon hearing Iris mentioning her favorite topic, and the young woman with the sea green eyes gave him a satisfied look. Sticking out his tongue at her, she returned the gesture as Iris nearly went into cardiac arrest from the blatant display of immaturity. Still chuckling to themselves it was Hank's light blue eyes hardening to icy blue shards in his seriousness that made them shut up, pull their hoods up, and walk in silence back to their quarters. After they made it in the front doors without an issue, the four suffered through the awkward silence of the elevator ride before the doors opened with a ding and Hank sent Iris in ahead of them.

"What you all did up there was crazy!" He exploded rounding on the pair of victors who had to force themselves to stand tall and not cower in response to the older victor's outburst. It was unusual for Hank to actually show anger that both were completely taken aback by it. "Snow is going to take it out on all of you know which could potentially make the Quell not just infinitely more difficult to survive but nearly impossible."

"It wasn't planned I swear!" Annie defended their actions with her own sea green eyes hardening into their usual stubborn diamonds of determination. Finnick realized that he had step in soon and fast, they both did not need an argument with their mentor the night before the Quell, their mentor could be the difference between life and death in the Arena when it came sponsors and they needed all the help they could get already.

"We'll be fine Hank and Annie he wasn't accusing you of anything trust me." He explained stepping in between the older victor and the young woman. Hank took a deep breath and his eyes soon melted revealing the fact that he was calming down while Annie did the same and her eyes too softened. "Good, now what's done is done. There's nothing else we can do tonight to change the past but as for the future we don't want it to be affected by us fighting now."

"You're right and I'm sorry Annie if it sounded as though I was accusing you personally." Hank apologized and Annie waved it off with a forgiving smile.

"It's alright and I'm sorry for freaking out like I did. And Finn," She continued and paused to look at him, "You're right, let's all get some rest tonight. I'm also sorry that we had to say goodbye like this Hank. Any last words of advice for us?"

"I'm quoting Haymitch here, his is the best so just stay alive you too and please remember what I said about the alliances." The two nodded as Hank stroked his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Yeah that's all I got, now come over here." Annie beat Finnick to the hug and Hank hugged her back. Stepping forward as Annie stepped away, Finnick hugged one of the victors, who had become a mentor figure for him after Mags had died. "Keep her safe please and do exactly as Haymitch said." Nodding as he pulled away he caught sight of Annie's tears and he knew that his eyes were starting to water too.

"Thank you for everything Hank." Finnick managed with his voice sounding more hoarse than usual as he tried to hold back his own tears. Hank nodded looking pretty close to crying himself before he seemed to regain the use of his old voice and put on a smile that reached his light blue eyes.

"Now go get some sleep you two." He ordered with a good natured smile and the two skedaddled through the door and up the stairs to Finn's room. Laughing through the pain, Annie slipped away from him to go and pull on a pair of shorts and a tank to sleep in. Stepping into his room he pulled off his own jeans and crawled exhaustedly into his bed. When the lights went out by themselves he smiled as he felt her familiar presence slip under the sheets beside him. Rolling over to face her, he found her sea green eyes in the dark and pressed a kiss to her forehead before wrapping his arms around her form. Both were undoubtedly terrified of what was to come the next morning but both tried to put it out of their thoughts as best as they could and found rest in the comfort of the other's presence.

**…**

"TEN" The electronic voice called out and Finnick felt his muscles tighten in response. This was it, this was the last chance he might ever have to protect all those he loved, not just his folks anymore but also Annie's family, Jo, Peeta, and Katniss. Time seemed to slow down as he thought of every single person he had to protect as the seconds ticked by until he had to stand up for each and every one of them.

"NINE!" It continued as images of fishing with his older brother filled his thoughts. Mako had stood up for his little brother in front of all the bullies for years and had been the one who had believed he could learn fighting techniques. Once Mako had grown up he still made time to come visit his five years younger brother. He had a wife now too and a beautiful little girl named Tulia. There was another person he needed to fight for, his baby niece, she deserved a chance at life too.

"EIGHT!" There was his father, the man who had taught him to fish and had made Mako take him alone. Not only had Maverick Odair taught him to fish, he'd been the one he had gotten his protective streak from as well as all his acting lessons. But Maverick would never have been the great man he was without his wife, Reese Odair, at his side. His mother too had taught him compassion and how to use his anger to make a difference. He owed them both more than just his life and a good childhood, they had made him who he was today.

"SEVEN!" Speaking of parents, Annie's decided to visit his thoughts next. He hadn't known the Crestas as well as he had their two younger children but he did know that they loved Annie with all their hearts and that was good enough for him. Countless times he had gone over to visit Annie and her mother had answered the door with a kind word and suggestions to help him put her only girl back together again. The only memory he had of her father however, was visiting him the day before the Quell and asking him that if by some freakish circumstance he and Annie happened to be reaped and by the even more improbable survival of them both, if he could ask for her hand. Needless to say he had been ecstatic when the older man and protective father had pulled off his glasses to rub his nose thoughtfully before smiling at him and saying the three letter word he was desperate to hear.

"SIX!" Jo visited him next, the warrior of a woman had fought through so much more than the average victor had to. He knew that she had lost both her family and the only boy she had ever loved when she refused Snow. Yet this woman hadn't given up but on the contrary continued to fight to make their deaths meaningful and to bring down the man that had taken away all she had loved. Though the two of them fought over just about everything, Finnick had a greater amount of respect for that young woman than he did for just about anyone else that he had met in some time.

"FIVE!" Peeta's blue eyes crossed his thoughts next soon followed his bright smile and happy spark that never seemed to go out. Here was a young man that, like Annie, appeared to be one of the few morally good people who had ever won the Games. Despite not knowing Peeta as well as he did Jo or even Katniss, he trusted the kid and knew that even with one real leg, that boy, no, that man would fight to the death to protect those he loved too; that was something they both had in common.

"FOUR!" The blue was replaced with the suspicious gray eyes of Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire that he had offered a sugar cube to the first time they met. As far as strong women go, she appeared to be on level with Johanna Mason. This girl was an actress like him and unsurprisingly had people to protect herself, from her little sister to her mom to her "cousin" that he had seen on television. She had become good friends with Annie over these past few days and he was glad about that and being part of the group to protect her, he couldn't kill her after all that not to mention the fact that they were a little too similar for his taste.

"THREE!" Hank's light blue eyes and tan wrinkled face took the stage next which reminded him of Mags. Both had been his mentors over the past ten years and he owed them, in no metaphorical sense, his life. Neither had asked for the fate they had been given but they had both lived their lives the best they could. If he could make it to be as old as Mags Fisher and Hank Gris, he would be happy if he could have had half as great of a life as they had led.

"TWO!" Remy, how could he forget Remy? Annie's little brother had become more than just his friend's little brother to Finnick. The twelve year old had become like his own little brother and he couldn't even bring himself to the idea of possibly losing him. From the time he had first been called 'Finny!' and nearly tackled to the ground in the kid's excitement to the last time he had seen Remy as he said his last good-byes before being Reaped. He had asked him to win for him, well Remy he may not be winning but he would get Annie out safe and he would fight to come back and keep his promise to teach that little guy how to fish.

"ONE!" He needed to focus now, had to focus but there was one more person who had yet to cross his mind and that was the girl with the dark brown curls, tan skin, and the biggest sea green eyes he had ever seen. She was the only girl he had ever fallen for and damn had she looked gorgeous in her dress last night. Annie wasn't just beautiful though, she made him better and she promised to never leave him which was more than anyone else. Out of everyone he needed to protect, she made the top of the list because he couldn't live with himself if he lost her, if he was the reason that he lost her. It was only with her that he felt like he could ever keep his head above water, she had been the one who had taught him the art of staying above water just by being herself and helping him when he needed to be helping her. He'd rather die than lose her ever.

"ZERO!" With that last number he dove into the water and thought to himself cynically, let the games begin.

**Okay I lied, thanks to a much appreciated delay due to snow/ice I had more time than expected to write tonight so here's the next chapter! But seriously after this I do appologize for the updates not being so puntual. Thanks again for the great reviews!**


	10. Changing Opinions for the Better

**Chapter 10: Changing Opinions for the Better**

Quick strokes sent his body flying through the water as his arms and legs worked together as a seamless machine getting him to the Cornucopia as one of the first tributes there, the only ones close was Annie and, to his surprise, Katniss. Snatching one of the tridents lying just inside the structure of the Cornucopia, he turned round and found himself facing the sharp point of one of Katniss' arrows mere feet away from his throat. Trying desperately not to show too much fear, he felt his Adam's apple bob up and down once as he swallowed before raising his arm and showing her the bracelet there.

"See I'm on your side." He affirmed as she nodded reluctantly, she must have been just as against alliances as he had been originally. Catching sight of a figure crawling onto the rocks, and knowing that Annie was already in the structure grabbing her first pick of knives and rope, he poised to throw his trident. "Duck!" His command was followed without question as Katniss ducked and he threw his weapon which met with the District 5 winos chest with a satisfying thud. Shuddering inwardly he was painfully reminded of when he passed out a few nights ago thanks to Talal but he shook it off as he pulled the weapon out of the winos chest.

"Heads up!" The girl on fire replied as her gray eyes focused on what was likely enough a few of the Careers. Doing as she ordered, he crouched down so fast that his blonde curls bounced up and down noticeably. One or both of her hits must have been true or true enough to wound someone giving them time to have their pick of weapons. Annie had tucked enough knives in her belt to fill a butcher shop and had rope tied looped around on shoulder and across her body. Snatching another few tridents, he grabbed a net that he looped over one shoulder as Katniss grabbed two bows, two overflowing quivers, two big hunting knives that Annie had disregarded, and an awl. Without any food or other supplied lying in sight and the four Careers likely enough on the warpath, the three tributes ran out of the opening of the cavernous manmade cave. Pausing, Katniss looked around frantically for Peeta but Annie's keener sea green eyes spotted him first. The teen was still on his metal plate, must now know how to swim. Running down the parallel walkway, the trio was soon across from him and Finnick dropped his trident and net even as Katniss tried to disentangle herself from her bows and arrows.

"I've got it. We don't want you to hurt yourself out there with your condition and everything." He assured her placing a comforting hand on her stomach before diving in and swimming out to where Peeta had leapt off and sat bobbing in the water with his fingertips gripping the rocks with a death grip.

"How'd you get her to stay back?" The younger guy asked as he looped an arm around Finnick's shoulder and allowed the slightly older victor to pull him back to the shore. Having to propel two bodies through the water and with one being a deadweight, he didn't have much air to respond but he did manage a chuckle.

"Tell you later." Finnick replied to Peeta's question and the blonde grunted an affirmation back as he floated beside him and the two soon, thankfully, reached the rocky pathway. Katniss bent forward and helped pull Peeta in while Finnick pulled himself up with his own strength as Annie stepped back giving him room. While Katniss was busy checking on Peeta and exchanging a kiss or two, Finnick scooted closer to Annie and whispered in her ear, "Where's Jo and the rest?"

"She has Wiress and Beetee, we'll meet up with her soon." Annie breathed out scanning the Arena with practiced sea green eyes as he followed her lead. Here was too open, they needed to enter the jungle to escape from any pending attacks. Glancing down at Katniss and Peeta, Finnick felt himself nodding before he reached down and gripped Katniss' shoulder with one hand and Peeta's with the other.

"Come on you two, we need to go. The Careers aren't going to leave us alone." He reminded the pair gently, Katniss was the first to react as she stood up and offered Peeta a hand up. Peeta took it looking a little saddened that they had to move on but not complaining when Katniss passed him a knife that he slipped into his belt as Annie tapped her foot and her sea green eyes took on a faraway look. Deep down he knew that she was thinking of her Games and the Careers she'd dealt with, especially Marcus and Claudia from District 2. In all reality, she had almost not made it out of that Arena alive because of them.

"Finn is right, we need to go." The older girl affirmed as she turned to face the forest and began jogging. "And the tree line is our best bet." Katniss nodded, she looked like the sort who would feel more at home in the woods if her shooting ability hadn't already proven that so. Her fiancé followed her like a puppy in adoration of his owner even as she shooed him away, and behind the baker came Finnick taking up the slack. Looking forward at Annie's curly dark ponytail swishing back and forth in the lead, he sighed to himself and wished that he was up there with her and hadn't taken on this plan. Not only was it not likely to work, it meant that he had to work with others who didn't like him, like Katniss. Plus she did not know the plan and was therefore more likely to think it a ruse and shoot him before it even had a chance to take place.

"I'll take point." Peeta volunteered once they reached the sandy wet beach as he removed his knife and started using it as a machete to clear the vines away and create a path. Annie quickly fell back to trot with him while Katniss followed Peeta holding a hand consciously to her stomach. Now she was just trying too hard, Finnick scoffed to himself until Annie laid a hand on his arm forcing him out of his thoughts.

"Don't judge too harshly, she's not the only one acting around here." She reminded him and he glanced down at the suddenly interesting ground beneath his feet without actually focusing on it causing himself to trip on a root and nearly introduced his Capitol-straightened teeth and nose to the ground. Annie did her best to hold back her laugh and surprisingly managed to look serious as Katniss glanced back at them with a glare reserved for him and a questioning look for Annie.

"Pick your feet up Klutz." The gray eyed girl ordered as she turned around and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Sticking his tongue out at her retreating back, Annie smacked his arm at his immaturity and he smirked before wiping away the sweat off the back of his neck; damn it was getting hot out here.

"The temperature is rising, can't you feel it?" He asked as he felt his bronze hair stick to his forehead and his mouth begin to feel dry. Nodding with him, Annie wiped a bit of sweat off her forehead and licked her lips. Somehow this lip-licking thing didn't look so disgusting when Annie did it instead of Aya or Kathleen. Pushing aside the urge to pull her close and kiss her lips, the two continued walking side by side following the girl on fire and the machete wielding baker boy. "How much further?" Finnick heard himself whine as they passed what must have been what felt to be around the fifth kilometer they'd hiked uphill that day.

"Do you ever stop complaining?" Katniss fired back looking annoyed and sounding way too much like Jo for his taste. Next thing he knew he was going to be hearing her call him Finny-boy too! Turning back around without waiting for his response, Finnick's keen sea green eyes watched as her whole body stiffened and she reached out a far-too-late hand as Peeta's knife connected with some sort of force field causing him to be flung backwards. Stumbling forwards, Katniss fell to her knees beside the blonde as Finnick felt himself, and Annie beside him, move towards the fallen boy. "Peeta?" The eighteen year old asked the still smoking boy as she ran a tan finger over his far too pale and motionless lips before pressing her head to his unmoving chest. Finnick was vaguely aware of Katniss screaming the baker's name and shaking the blonde roughly as if she could shake him back to life, if only it was that easy. Nodding to Annie, the woman grabbed Katniss' arm and pulled her away from the teenage boy as Finnick dove towards him and began the all too familiar motions of CPR.

"Stop squirming Kat! He's helping him!" Annie ordered as the younger girl tried to lunge out of her arms to push him away from her beloved. Pressing his hands to the boy's chest, he began pumping it up and down for him counting the necessary 32 beats in his head before breathing twice and repeating the process over again. Minutes later, about the time Finnick was sure his arms were going to turn to noodles and Annie certain that Katniss was going to need CPR herself because she appeared to have held her breath this whole time praying that Peeta would be alright, Peeta coughed loudly and began to breath for himself again

"Peeta!" She exclaimed as Finnick leaned back out of the way and the huntress nearly tackled the now-breathing teen. Watching her carefully he became aware of Annie having moved to kneel beside him and smiles as she slips her hand into his.

"Thank you, I don't think I could have lasted half as long." The black haired and sea green eyed girl admitted as they watched Peeta say what must have been the right thing earning a kiss on the lips from the girl with the tear filled gray eyes.

"You were dead!" Katniss yelled, catching the District 4 victor's attention as she clamped a hand to her mouth and whispered the rest of whatever she was saying. She wasn't faking that love, Finnick realized with a gasp, as she sobbed and Peeta, despite being the one just brought back from the edge of life and death, comforted her. He had never been faking it but Finnick could have sworn she was, perhaps he was wrong. No, not perhaps it was far too certain for perhaps, this time he was indubitably wrong.

"Katniss?" Peeta whispers loud enough for Annie and Finnick to catch it as the huntress shook with sobs that Finnick hadn't believed she was capable of emitting, that any person who size was capable of.

"It's just her hormones, I'm sure." Annie assured the blonde as Katniss tried to argue but ended up sobbing instead. Passing the girl a leaf to use as a makeshift tissue, Annie helped her up after she wiped away the majority of her snot and salty tears. In the meantime, Finnick offered Peeta a hand and helped the eighteen year old up. Peeta ended up leaning heavily on him as Katniss gave the twenty-four year old her infamous glare from where Annie was still holding to one of her arms while the other crept over to her quiver and bow.

"I'll take it slow." He assured his fiancé as Finnick held him up until Annie let go of Katniss and went and took Peeta's other arm so that he was supported on both sides. Apparently the baker hadn't quite regained control of his metal prosthetic; the shock has obviously affected it more so than his physical body.

"Fine, but I take lead." She insisted in response and Peeta looked as though he was going to argue until it hit Finnick, she had known about the force field and had tried to warn them.

"How'd you know about the force field?" The bronze haired fisher's son asked the huntress who gave him a perplexed look before her gray eyes went wide and narrowed again just as quickly. She really was as easy to read as a book, he realized, as she focused on him and sniffled once before opening her mouth to speak.

"I can hear them, the surgeons must have repaired my left ear better than they meant to." She explained with a shrug that he returned with a skeptical look, he knew better than anyone else that the Capitol wouldn't dream of making a mistake like that. They might repair and better it but not to the point that she would be able to hear the barely existent hum the force field was admitting. He would know, they'd just restarted his heart a few times after that drug and before that had corrected his once corrected nose and straightened his teeth so that he was even more attractive.

"That's their loss, our gain then." Annie replied with a smile, "You'd best lead the way then because I don't want to be the next sparky." Katniss didn't find it quite as funny as Annie did but nodded at her friend's joke before leading the way by tossing nuts at the fence. Those, now charred nuts, were pretty well roasted and looked good enough to eat, Finnick found himself thinking before catching one in his hand, popping it in his open mouth and crunching it appreciatively.

"That could be dangerous." Peeta panted before taking a deep breath and dragged his metal leg behind him.

"Dangerously delicious!" Finnick fired back with a smirk as he smacked his lips and Katniss turned around to see what the commotion was about. Shaking her head at the young man she looked at the nuts in her hand and then eyed his response, which was only appreciation for the taste.

"Well we'll see what happens, if he dies we won't eat anymore but if he doesn't I'd say they're probably fine." Katniss decided with a final glance before continuing on with her steady pace and the familiar whack of her knife against the vines resumed.

"You and your bottomless pit of a stomach will be the end of you." The twenty-two year old chastised him and he smirked back catching the joking tone in her voice.

"Or the survival of us all, if they had some chocolate-nut spread here I'd be in heaven!" He fired back earning a sarcastic sea green eye roll from Annie as Peeta hoarsely chuckled at their antics.

"You two really need to date." The baker observed as the two District 4 victors gave him a funny look. He didn't know how desperately they wanted to, could he? This boy was observative but not that much, they'd tried to cover their tracks so well.

"Eww he's kissed too many girls for my taste!"

"Eww she's definitely not my type of girl!" The pair both yelled in sync using poorly made excuses as Peeta continued to chuckle hoarsely before Katniss stopped.

"This is far enough for today, you three rest while I go look for food and water." The huntress ordered as Finnick lowered Peeta to the ground and Annie leapt forward grabbing the younger girl's arm.

"Can I go with you?" A flash of indecision flashed across the younger girl's gray eyes before she nodded.

"Long as you're quiet." She replied and Annie nodded she was very quiet, Finnick didn't like referring to her as a ninja for nothing. As the two women walked off, Finnick plopped to the ground beside Peeta and began cleaning his trident with a leaf he picked up off the ground that he was hoping would get the blood off.

"So how did you get her to stay so you could swim out to get me?" The blonde asked his blue eyes filled with an odd combination of questions and pain. If only he too didn't know that look so well, he saw it every morning in the mirror reflecting his own sea green eyes.

"I appealed to the motherly instincts in her and she stood down, not much really." He shrugged it off as he gave up on the leaf, tossed it away, and leaned his trident over his knee as he spoke. Fingering the end of the pointed end he tried to push away the memories of it embedding in Annie's chest, it may have been just a hallucination but it still freaked him out more than he would admit.

"Not much? I can't get her to stand down ever." Peeta continued looking at the older guy in awe.

"I believe that you can if you use that silver tongue of yours right. You have more pull on her than you realize, than you both realize." Finnick pointed out placing the trident down by his feet and looking at the boy with his sea green eyes serious. Peeta leaned back against the tree contemplating this until he fell asleep and Finnick looked down at the younger man with a sad smile on his face. Earlier that day he may have been thinking about abandoning these two simply because he didn't want to risk it all for two kids he was too worried about for his own good, but now he couldn't imagine not going through with the plan. These two kids needed him, both in their own way and he would hate himself if he let them get hurt. "I promise to get you out of here safe, I'll try my best." He swore looking down at Peeta and then in the direction where the two women had disappeared down, "To get you all home, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die."

**Sorry about being so terrible at updating lately! I've been so crazy busy and this chapter took me much longer than I thought it would. Hope you like it and I promise to update soon, cross my heart and hope to shoot**


	11. Welcome to the Arena of Horrors

**Chapter 11: Welcome to the Arena of Horrors**

Before Finnick had a chance to truly realize the magnitude of his promise, Annie and Katniss had already returned with a good sized rat-like-creature in hand but no water. By this time, while Peeta slept leaned against the tree, he had managed to build a shelter above the weak eighteen year old along with a fire a little ways away where he had roasted a bunch of nuts on his, now cleaner, trident before putting them in grass bowls that he had knotted together. With all this physical labor, he really hadn't had time to think of anything but continuing to move and making things easier for the other three.

"Since you haven't died yet, I suppose these are okay to eat then." Annie remarked with a smile as she sat down beside the thirsty and sweat-covered twenty-four year old before popping a good sized roasted nut in her mouth. Her voice, after Finnick's silence while he worked, awoke the blonde boy whose blue eyes flew open in time to catch sight of his fiancé carrying their dinner.

"And the huntresses have returned!" He slurred out with a big grin as he propped himself up and stretched cautiously inside the small shelter. Crawling out of it, he sat down beside the other two as Katniss placed the squirrel-rat on a stick and sat down beside the others to roast the beast. In the mean time Finnick asked her questions which Annie mostly answered with her mouth full of food and a focused look in her sea green eyes. Taking in the strength visible in those depths, he knew that Annie must really be hurting thanks to all those memories flowing back in here and was only trying to be strong for the two younger tributes from District 12. As the four ate with amiable conversation, he had to suppress an urge to help Annie with her pain as Katniss and Peeta were paying far too much attention and any weakness would not bode well for either of them, no not at all. The four had just finished up the meat and were still crunching on the roasted nuts when the Anthem began to play and the dead victors faces flashed across the sky. Looking out the entrance of the lean-to shelter, Finnick felt his mouth go drier than he expected as he recognized the eight faces that disappeared too fast for them to truly focus on the real hurt that they felt thanks to this. Trying not to dwell on this too much, Finnick glanced up and was the first to notice the floating and chirping silver parachute.

"Whose is it do you think?" Peeta asked while the other three shrugged their shoulders in unison before Finnick grinned to himself and turned to look at the blonde sitting in between him and Katniss.

"No idea but since you died today, I say that you deserve it." Pausing he let out a harsh chuckle mostly due to his raw throat not being able to manage anything better. "Whatever it is that is." The blond nodded as he reached out, picked it up, and opened it only to pull out a silver object that gleamed in the moonlight and the embers from the dying fire. Whatever the silver object was, none of them recognized it and after some banter about it, Katniss surrenders and lays down on her side a little ways off before Peeta shrugs and limped over to join her.

"No ideas either?" Her familiar voice whispers in his ear and he smiles as she sits down beside him and intertwines their fingers together. Glancing down at her tiny hand in his, he squeezes it gently before looking back up into those sea green eyes colored so similarly to his own and shaking his head. "Me either." She continued getting a faraway look in her eyes before closing them as she shakily breathed in deeply to calm herself. Leaning over and cupping his free hand under her chin, her eyes fluttered open and she focused them on his. Pressing his lips to her forehead softly, he didn't force her to speak but when she wanted to tell him, and had even opened her mouth to do, she was interrupted by Katniss' exuberant yell.

"It's a spile!" She grinned as she leapt up with her gray eyes shining as she grabbed the silver object and began boring a hole in the closest tree as the other three looked on feeling confused at best. When she had made what must have been a big enough whole into the arbor's center, she shoved the spile in and waited with bated breath until the water began to drip out and the other three leapt up with various noises of jubilance.

"You're a genius Katniss!" Finnick exclaimed as she drank a few sips before allowing Peeta to get a few grateful gulps while Annie followed and he brought up the rear. Cycling through this once, twice and finally three times, the group had finally sated their thirst and Katniss pulled the spile out and tucked it in her belt. As she did this, Finnick stood up stiffly and walked around their small campsite, ensuring that everything was put away and could be taken down for quick escape if necessary. Dragging a thick log over, he sat down on it as Peeta crawled exhaustedly back into the shelter, Annie stood a few feet away observing what stars they could see through the opening in the canopy above, and Katniss made a move as if to stop him.

"I can take first watch." She offered picking up a bow even as she yawned and he chuckled to himself before shaking his head.

"It's alright, I've got it. You and Peeta need the rest more than us older folk. I'll wake you around midnight." He explained and Katniss nodded before putting down her weapon and looking back at the tent with exhaustion visible in the dark circles under her eyes.

"Katniss, then you can wake me up around 4 or so and I'll take the later morning shift." Annie offered as the younger girl ripped her eyes away from the shelter and nodded. Crawling inside, the slightly older girl heard Katniss lay down beside Peeta and the two were soon asleep, likely enough in one another's arms. Sitting next to Finnick on the log, he laid a hand over her slightly shaking one but didn't lean in to capture her lips in his, the cameras were still turned to them and they, well they had a show to put on.

"The memories are getting to you?" He asked her and she nodded numbly clenching the hand beneath his so tight that her nails left impressions on her palm.

"I can see it all, the way it was I mean and dammit I'm scared, so scared Finn and I can't show it. I can't show them, can't be weak, I just can't." She whispered as silent tears streamed down her cheeks and she choked back a sob. Ignoring the voice in the back of his head that said that breaking character was a bad idea, he pulled the crying girl into his arms and held her tight. Knowing that he couldn't do anything more he waited until her shaking calmed and her breathing returned to normal before speaking.

"I know that you're scared Ann, I am too and so are they. We have to keep it together, just stay above it all. Swimming saved you once and it mayhap help you again, stay above water and we'll be okay. It'll be okay." Looking up at him with a look of relief she smiled weakly through the tear streaks and nodded before reaching up an arm and wiping away the rivers that had flown down her cheeks.

"Thank you Finn and I'll try, but you need to take your own advice too, alright?" Standing up stiffly he smiled at her with a grin that didn't reach his eyes but she luckily didn't notice that in the starlight.

"Alright, now go get some sleep." He urged her and she nodded before heading to the tent and lying down as he focused his eyes on the woods around them and began scanning them for any signs of danger. Noticing none he looked over at the tent and sighed as he thought about the promise he made and the magnitude of it. Smiling to himself, he knew he meant every word of it but that didn't make it any less difficult of a promise to keep. Here he was in a Game where he was supposed to kill people and all he wanted to do was get these others out alive, was there ever a more difficult task? Yes, living with the guilt of killing those two would be far more difficult than keeping them alive. Only way he could do that though was if everything went as planned, which rarely if ever happened. Hopefully this time, things didn't go as they normally did, and everything went off without a hitch. A sudden noise went off startling him and causing Annie to poke her head out the tent as Katniss stumbled out and the three waited as the noise, most akin to a BONG, went off eleven more times.

"What was that?" Katniss breathed out looking around worriedly as Finnick shrugged before looking up at her from where he sat.

"Whatever it was, there was twelve of them." He reported pausing to yawn before continuing. "Know what it means?"

"No but we will soon I suppose now you go get some sleep, its close enough to midnight and my turn to watch." She continued and though he wanted to argue with her that he could handle it, he nodded and stood up to offer her the log as he crawled into the tent where Annie was laying wide awake waiting for him.

"Could it be the number of tributes?" The fisherman's daughter asked and he shook his head for once bewildered before crashing to the ground beside her and closing his eyes immediately. Today had been more exhausting than he'd thought and Annie's thin form beside him made him feel safer and more comfortable than he had all day. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he fell to sleep within seconds and rested until he was awoken by Katniss' terrified voice.

"Run!" She yelled as he leapt up and so did the other two in the tent beside him before she screamed the same word out again with panic laced into her voice that made the trio hurry faster as they grabbed their weapons and staggered out. Catching sight of the fog and then the blisters on her hand, Finnick didn't need to be told twice that the fog was poisonous but already had grabbed his tridents, swung the net over his shoulder and pushed the other two into a run as he and Katniss followed. All three were faster than the average man but that fog was nearly faster and soon they all felt the blisters forming on their skin and a burning, throbbing pain filled their lungs as they breathed the poisonous air far too deeply.

Continuing on their mad dash they only stopped when Peeta went down and Finnick swung the eighteen year old onto his back while Annie dragged the still panicking Katniss along with her in front of him. All of their muscles burned and shook with unnatural tremors as they moved forward until they fell in a tired heap unable to go any further due to their uncontrollably shaking limbs and the rasp of air that rattled through them. At that moment, as he felt himself crawling forwards until he really couldn't go anymore, Finnick could not have cared less about that promise he'd just been thinking about and would gladly have welcome death had it come then, come for them all. Luckily it didn't and the fog hit an impenetrable wall that prevented it from creeping forward and doing them all in.

"A'ive." Annie rasped out as Peeta rolled off Finnick's back and the sea green eyed girl lost her grip on the moaning huntress' arm. Ignoring her voice of truth, the pain in his body made him almost wish he wasn't until the promise came back and he thought of all the curses he couldn't say through his feeble gasps of air. Rolling over on his back he closed his eyes as he heard Peeta talking gibberish that sounded something like monkeys and splashes that could have boded well or ill for all he knew. Lying there it wasn't until Annie's touch on his arm that he even thought about moving again, moaning as her cold hand connected with his feverish skin. He became vaguely aware of the others moving him and pain blossoming as they splashed at the welts but the excruciating pain was soon followed by relief that made him grunt in happiness until they'd managed to bring him completely into the water source and he dunked his head underwater. Now he was completely pain free and had unblemished skin with the exception of the burst blisters and new skin forming under them.

"You okay now Finnick?" Katniss asked as Annie floated on her back with her eyes closed a few feet away and Peeta limped over to a tree to get some water to help with their burning throats.

"Yeah." He rasped out before dunking his head underwater again and became grateful beyond words to be back in his element and feel none of the pain that he'd thought was going to kill him only a few minutes earlier. Grinning at her, he splashed under the water, swam under Annie and squeezed her sides before resurfacing with a joyful inhalation. Fate didn't give him much time to revel in this fact however because when he looked up he was greeted by their next threat and he realized that Peeta's murmured "Mon-hees" from before had been right, monkeys were watching them alright and none of the beasts looked too friendly with their all too sharp fangs bared and their beady dark eyes glaring daggers at them. So much for getting to escape one threat, here was the next and he'd barely had time to heal from the first but was so was the way of the Games so he grabbed his waiting trident and net and faced the threat with narrowed sea green eyes. Without realizing it Annie articulated what he was thinking best as she pulled out her own weapons and Katniss notched an arrow beside her.

"Welcome to the Arena of Horrors."

**Sorry again for the sporadic updating but I'm trying my best, promise! Hope you like it and thanks for all the awesome reviews**


	12. Mon-hees

**Chapter 12: Mon-hees**

Glancing over at Annie with surprise at the truth of her words, Finnick shook his head in surprise as Katniss turned to Peeta. The blonde had chosen that moment to turn around and ask for the spile, which couldn't have possibly been worse timing for anyone whether they were one-legged or otherwise.

"Can I have the spile?" He asked and Katniss shook her head even as Finnick felt the urge, despite the danger of the situation, to correct the younger man that yes he could get the spile and then not hand it to him like his teacher had once done. It was truly an annoying habit that he needed to work on however first he had to live long enough if he wanted the chance to break or make any habits.

"Maybe not the best time dear." She replied calling him dear without even thinking about it or considering the consequences of what she said. Subconsciously, Finnick was already aware that she thought of Peeta in such a way but he didn't think that she knew it well enough to call him dear even in the heat of the moment. Well life or death situations do bring out suppressed feelings but he was probably just reading into this too much, right? "How about you instead walk over here really slowly and quietly for me, okay?" Looking at her with his bright blue eyes wide in confusion, he nodded and attempted to walk quietly towards where they waited in the pool of water that was, luckily, rather close to the still calmly lapping waters of the beach.

"Alright." Peeta conceded choosing his words carefully as his metal leg caught on leaves and broke twigs hap hazardously and so noisily that both Katniss and Annie, the two people nearest to ninjas that he had ever met, actually seemed to wince in physical pain at the noise. Halfway across the short walk from tree to pool, he made the mistake of looking up at the huge monkeys with their bared teeth and tiny, beady dark eyes that felt as though they stared into your soul. The whole pack of them took his eye contact as a signal to attack and were soon sliding down the vines and treetrunks faster than that twelve year old ally of Artemis' from last year's Game could ever have gone and that girl was undeniably fast.

"Mutts!" Finnick registers Annie's whimper and his heart drops as he feels her pain but can't do anything about it. Leaping into his fighting stance with a trident poised in his throwing hand and the other wrapped around the net in his other hand, he turned off his feelings and forced himself to ignore the pain he too was feeling and the fear. Normally such actions made him feel like a monster afterwards but at the moment he didn't care, he couldn't care, if he didn't turn off the distractions they wouldn't live to tell the tale. Monster or not, he knew that he would feel worse if he didn't turn them off because if he failed to do that he would breaking his promise and to him promise breakers were the biggest monsters of all.

Narrowing his sea green eyes he forced himself to focus on the task at hand and ignored the sounds of anything but the battle in front of him. Later on he would vaguely remember Annie's knives thudding with near perfect accuracy as Katniss fired arrows off and Peeta was nearly taken out if not for the sacrifice of one of the morphlings, but in the heat of the battle the only thing he was aware of was his trident's weight, the bloodlust in his head, and the thud of the dead monkeys. Once he remembered stabbing one that was trying to kill Katniss and Haymitch's plan filled his mind forcing him to yell to anyone who cared to listen.

"Keep moving towards the beach!" He ordered in a serious voice that only Annie, as of yet, had heard from him. Annie obeyed backing up so that their backs were to each other and they were defending the other's weak spots. In the mean time, Katniss and Peeta were carrying an injured morphling to the sandy strip which usually would have made Finnick moan at the unnecessary addition to his problems but in that moment he accepted that this was what he should have been doing all along, saving those he could and not killing those he couldn't in cold blood. Covering the two teenagers carrying the dying morphling, Annie and Finnick worked as a team shooting and stabbing until the monkeys fell away for some reason. Neither tribute from District 4 was complaining about this development but both were certainly confused, it was unnatural. Granted these were mutts, unnatural was the best word to describe them but still it kept nagging at Finnick even as he laid down to sleep hours later.

"Did you see what that morphling did for Peeta?" Annie asked as she reappeared at his shoulder after retrieving all her knives and passed him his other trident that was being held in the hand that wasn't occupied with Katniss' arrows. Shaking his head at her question, he accepted the tridents without question before sitting on the ground and wincing as the suit, which hadn't really protected him much in the first place, chaffed against the scabs on his skin. Pulling at the suit uncomfortably, he heard a tear and removed his hand only to find that half the fabric came with it. Watching him as this occurred, Annie's chuckle followed him as she sighed. "Forget what I said before. At the rate that you're going boxers is going to be it anyhow so go get off that suit before you rip off all of it. As much as the capitol women would love that, I can't say that it would be a very helpful technique."

"Maybe to get more sponsors?" He teased as he reached a, now visible, muscular, bronze arm around to unzip the zipper at the back.

"I think running around without a shirt on will do well enough for that." She fired back as she scratched absently mindedly at her own arm and pulled away a chunk of fabric as well. Chuckling she held it up as he unbuckled his belt and gave her a funny look. "Hopefully a tank top and short wearing girl gets some more sponsors too!" Choking back a remark that he would definitely give assistance to someone with a body as attractive as hers, he nodded as she twisted around and unzipped her suit as well. Both of them kept the belts because Brutus had already proven they could work extremely well as shields and they needed places to store things, like her knives and he liked to have something to tie his net to just in case. Gathering up his tridents, he noted their still bloody tips and stepped into the water to wash them. Soon he was joined by Annie who passed him Katniss' arrows with a smile after he finished his tridents.

"More work?" Finnick groaned and she grinned back at him as she splashed him lazily with the hand that wasn't holding her still-covered-in-mutt-blood lethal throwing knife.

"You complain too much." The girl with the sea green eyes and dark curls fired back with a familiar grin as she continued scrubbing her knives clean and he set to work on the arrows that, luckily, weren't really that difficult to do. Never mind the difficulty, he may voice a complaint at the idea of work but in all reality, handy work always had successfully distracted him from his thoughts and after his Games, he had never been more welcoming of such distractions.

"You never finished what you were going to say about the morphling." The twenty-four year old prompted after a bit and Annie smiled as she wiped her last knife clean against the bit of fabric that had come off her suit. Following this motion, she replaced it in her belt loop before turning her attention to Finn, who was luckily on his second to last arrow.

"She leapt out in front of a weaponless Peeta and saved his life. Do you think she had talked to Haymitch too?" Annie explained before asking her final question a little too loud for his taste and he leaned forward to place a finger on her lips.

"Not so loud!" He hissed, a noise he had always hated especially when it came out of Talal's mouth a few days ago but worked best in this circumstance. "Peeta and Annie can't know." Annie nodded looking slightly upset at how he had responded until he explained the reasoning behind is.

"Fine." She whispered back, "But do you?" Her sea green eyes met his and he sighed to himself, he never could say to those eyes could he? No, not now and not ever whether they were hers or her little brother's.

"Yes and I'm sorry that she had to die for it." Finnick continued as he dried off the last of the arrows and the pair waded out of the water and onto the dark sandy shores as the manufactured stars twinkled above and he heard a crack of lightning from somewhere nearby but not close enough to be worrisome. As they walked back, they saw that Peeta and Katniss were making a similar trek out of the waves and were sitting quietly on the shore when they reached them.

"Trying to get more sponsors or something?" Katniss asked and his bronze eyebrows gave her a quizzical one up and one down look before dumping her expertly cleaned arrows on the ground beside her.

"Always but this time it's cause he suits are falling to pieces anyways and are better off our bodies than falling off and making the scabs itch." Peeta, having not been listening, started to scratch at his shoulder and soon, as Finnick had just said, off came the cloth along with a startled grunt of surprise from the baker. The other three watched this with half smiles on their faces as Katniss turned to him and nodded.

"I see what you mean, and thanks for the arrows." Finnick nodded as she gave Peeta a hand up before unhooking her own belt and unzipping what remained of her suit to reveal a tank and shorts akin to Annie's. Having noticed the fact that his fiancé was undressing, Peeta seemed to awake from his daze and she had to whisper an explanation to him to prevent him from attacking Finn for even suggesting she do such a thing.

"I'll take first watch." The twenty-four year old offered as Katniss shook her head, her watch had been the one that had been cut in half after all. Before she could argue Finnick gave her a pointed look before directing his gaze over to Peeta who was currently struggling to get his suit off his metal leg. "It's fine, I need less sleep than someone in your condition plus your baby daddy needs you." Chuckling inwardly, he watched as she was dying to argue with him over that one but just sighed in acceptance, arguing would ruin the whole pregnancy ploy and would leave both the star crossed lovers from District 12 without a leg to stand on.

"You're right," She breathed out reluctantly as she sheathed her arrows before walking over to where Peeta was, helping him to a sitting position and then to get the suit off his prosthetic. The familiar step of his ninja-like partner caught his attention and he didn't even turn as she sat down beside him while the two teens from District 12 curled up on the beach, halfway sheltered under a tree.

"You need sleep too." She reminded him with a pointed look that reminded him of one that his mother, Reese, had given him when he was younger and had liked to negotiate a new bedtime so her could stay on the water longer with his dad, Maverick, and Mako. Couldn't if I tried at the moment, but I promise to wake you later if I need the help, alright?" Nodding, Annie leaned her head against his side and soon was breathing deeply and steadily. Good, he thought looking down at her with a smile , at least one of them would get some rest tonight. Looking up at the stars, he wondered where his mom, dad, and Mako were. He didn't really know for sure if there was someone up there for sure listening to what he prayed at that moment but he really hoped there was as he whispered his deepest wish to the stars and the moon.

"Please keep them safe. My mom, dad, and Mako and his new family. Not to mention Annie's older brother Nick, little Remy, and her folks." Pausing he leaned his head back with a sigh and closed his sea green eyes in desperation. "Please keep them safe, if there's anybody out there, up there, listening." Turning away from the skies, he tried to focus on just watching out for any threats and staying awake. The later, despite the lack of the former, was not that difficult because he was still trying to process what he'd seen over the last few hours and trying to file it away correctly in his memory banks so that he could use it as needed if that became necessary. Eventually, it must have been a good three to four hours later as dawn was beginning to arrive now, Annie woke up and offered to take him place for a bit. He nodded and leaned his head against her should before closing his eyes and finally allowing himself to get a few more precious hours of sleep before he had to wake up and deal with neutralizing whatever threat was next up on the menu.

When he finally did awake, it was to the sounds of Katniss and Annie's chatter and the continuation of Peeta's snores. Following that was the familiar hum of the silver parachute that made him really wake up. What could be waiting in that gift from a sponsor and who was it for this time?

"A parachute!" Annie exclaimed, unnecessarily and he shook his head at this as he stretched his stiff muscles before opening his sea green eyes. Crawling over to her side, the three tributes looked at it carefully as Katniss unscrewed the lid to reveal the green paste inside.

"What's this?" She asked uncertainly as Finnick's mouth formed an "o" of understanding and it took every bit of his being not to revert back to being a toddler and just take the container from her and show her how it was done.

"It must be for the blisters!" He explained as he gestured for the container, which Katniss gladly handed over. Snagging a handful of the paste, he spread it across his arms and sighed in relief as he felt the pain and itchiness disappear. "And I'm willing to bet that it's all due to my shirtless outfit."

"Don't flatter yourself too much Finn." Annie teased with a giggle as she grabbed some paste with one hand and ruffled his bronze curls with the other, "Your head is already big enough as it!" Katniss giggled at that as Finnick grunted in offense at Annie's remark before rubbing in more of the ointment on his face, and crawling over to wake up Peeta. He needed another man around here to deal with these two girls at the same time.

"Peeta?" Finnick shook the boy's shoulders and the blonde woke only to startle at his bright green face and the lighter sea green eyes that gleamed in between the paste.

"What the hell?" He cursed backing away and hitting his hand to his head as he recognized Finnick and started to laugh. "Got a bit of something on your face there." Both males were soon laughing as Katniss and Annie joined them. Passing the ointment over to the recent awoken baker boy, Katniss stood up to go and fiddle with the spile and get them all some water which was good, the back of Finnick's throat was going dry again and his mouth had a funny cottonmouth taste. Leaving Peeta to his ointment and Katniss to her water gathering, Finnick began to fish with the same practiced motion he'd used for many years under his father and Mako. Carrying in his catch, he watched as Annie made a fire and smiled despite himself at how well she was functioning especially after her last time on the Arena. Passing her the catch, he turned around as his peripheral vision caught three flashes of movement not too far to his left in the tree line and followed by a familiar sarcastic voice.

"Golly what happened to you Finny-boy? Did the seaweed mermaids attack your face for taking their fish?"

**Thanks to the snow days I should have the next chapter up by the night of the 30th or at the very latest the morning of the 31st. Sorry for the sporadic updating and thanks as always for sticking around to read this far. Hope you enjoyed and please review with any and all ideas or thoughts, I'm always open to suggestions.**


	13. Bloody Guests and Genius Planning

**Chapter 13: Bloody Guests and Genius Planning**

"Jo!" Finnick hollered as he leapt up with a grin as the spiky haired tribute from District 7 made her way over to them at a crawling pace due to the form of another victor leaning heavily on her and another weaving behind them looking confused at best and absolutely batshit crazy at worst. The oddest thing about this group was the stuff caked on them, from this distance it looked like mud but in the Arena nothing was that simple. If he was right, and he normally was about horrible stuff like this, the trio were caked in blood and that was never a good sign in any circumstance.

"Bloody hell, I never thought I'd find you again!" Jo replied with a smirk until Beetee finally collapsed and his arm, which had originally been looped around her shoulder, went with him. "Dammit Beetee!" She cursed as Finnick reached Beetee and started to pick the older victor up. In the meantime, the wandering figure behind her started to go in circles spinning her arms and Jo cursed again as she stomped back to where she was. Grabbing the other tribute's arm with a death grip, Jo pulled the woman, who had to be Wiress, along until they were back to where Finnick was holding up Beetee with one arm and Annie, who by this point had caught up with Finn, had taken Beetee's other.

"What happened Jo, why are you three covered in blood?" Annie asked with concern in her sea green eyes as she too recognized the "mud" for what it truly was.

"The four of us thought it was rain but dammit it was anything but. It was raining blood! Wet, hot, sticky, blood! It made it so you couldn't speak or see or breathe without blood drowning you! Everyone was staggering around trying to get out of it and Blight was a dumbass and ran into this force field or something leaving me alone to death with knife-in-the-back Volts and completely-gone-wackoo Nuts!" Jo's cursing was a habit she had picked up when she was really stressed and trying to hide that fact which worked for everyone except for those who knew her too well to be fooled, those like Finnick and Annie.

"I'm sorry about Blight." Finn says as he helps Beetee over to their little fire and Jo follows with her arm still tight around Wiress' forearm.

"Whatever, he wasn't much but," She paused with her golden eyes focusing on the unforgiving jungle "he was home." By this point, they had arrived back to where Peeta was sitting in the shallows cleaning off his metal prosthetic and probably praying that it wouldn't rust in the mean time. Katniss had chosen this moment to reappear and it was now that Wiress chosen to freak out and Jo was forced to push her to the ground.

"Tick tock!" The older woman says indignantly from where she finds herself with her butt in the sand as Jo glares down at her.

"Tick tock, tick tock! We get it! Nuts is in shock!" Jo growled as Katniss leapt forward without truly comprehending the situation and helped Wiress up.

"Lay off her!" The huntress ordered and the warrior glared back, damn those two were going to butt heads over everything.

"Lay off her?" Johanna hissed back looking perturbed before she took a deep breath and actively tried to hold back the rage. Since when had Jo had such control? "Fine!" She continued with the venom obvious in her voice, "I'll lay off her but then she's your damn problem!" Stomping over to the water, the rest watched as she ripped off her suit and waded into the water to wash away all the blood and hopefully, or so Finn prayed, her anger as well.

"Fine!" Katniss grumbled under her breath as she pulled Wiress up and took the same grip Jo had had on the woman's arm as she pulled her to the water to wash off any blood. Sighing to himself, Finnick glanced over at Annie, Peeta, and the unconscious Beetee and sighed again. Just when everyone got together, everything would fall apart right on schedule, just his luck!

"Peeta and I can take care of Beetee." Annie offered in a quiet voice as she placed an arm on Finnick's shoulder and Peeta nodded in agreement. That boy knew better than to get in the middle of one of his fiancé's arguments because, after all, he liked all his body parts free of her arrows. "You go and catch some more fish, we're going to need more to deal with this large of a party plus I doubt Jo or Katniss would admit that they need help let alone accept any." She continued and he nodded as Peeta stepped up and took the arm that Finnick had been supporting and the awkward trio limped over to the waves so that they could clean him up and deal with the knife wound in the old man's back. Before beginning they took off a coil of wire that had been around his belt and tossed it back up onto the shore nearly hitting Finn in the foot.

Grumbling to himself, Finnick suppressed the urge to kick it in a burst of immaturity and instead went back to where the fire was still burning weakly. Stoking it with some more sticks that Annie must have found nearby, he snatched up his trident and net and headed back to the quietest bit of water he could find. Throwing his net out with the practiced motion of one who had been fishing as long as he  
could walk, Finn soon had a few more to add to his original catch and some shellfish to go along with it. As he was walking back to the fire where Jo was laying out wearing only a sports bra and shorts similar to Annie's, Katniss hollered something unintelligible that startled him into nearly dropping his catch.

"What did she say?" He asked Jo as he removed the perfectly cooked fish from before and set the next ones on the makeshift spit that Annie must have made before the appearance of Jo and the others.

"'Tick Tock. It's a clock!' Whatever that means, I personally think that she's just spent too much time with Nuts." Jo continued but Finnick stopped listening after clock, as it hit him and everything suddenly became crystal clear for a moment.

"She's right Jo! Don't you see?" Finnick leapt up in his excitement as he pointed to each of the twelve sectors. "Twelve spokes. Twelve bongs. Lightning strikes at midnight and I'll bet at noon as well. It all makes sense!" Her golden eyes grew wide as they took it all in and she nodded for once blissfully silent.

"You're both right Finny-boy but don't tell her that I admitted to her being right about anything." Jo ordered as she moved out of the way of Peeta and Annie, who were carrying Beetee, and laid him so that he was on top of somebody's somewhat put together suit with his back up so that Annie could lay some of the moss on it before wrapping it back up and pulling his undershirt back over his head.

"Wire?" Beetee asked as they propped him against a tree that Finnick recognized to be a palm tree. He, Annie, and Peeta gave the older genius a funny look as Jo sighed and stomped off to go and pick up the wire that Annie and Peeta and flung onto the shore and nearly hit him with earlier on.

"He means this you idiots." She fumed as she handed him the wire and he, now more conscious than before, began to fiddle with it as he tried to ensure that it wasn't too damaged and no one had messed with it. "Be careful with that Volts and watch where you plug it in." The older man looked up at her and croaked out something that sounded like thanks.

"Be nicer to them." Katniss grumbled as she helped Wiress sit down before turning around and glaring at Jo with her hands on her hips.

"Don't expect me to change, sweetheart. I've never been nice and never will be." Jo growled back with a glare pointed at Katniss, as the younger tribute stepped forward with her own matching glare. "Want to fight me? Come at me then! I don't care if you're knocked up or not!"

"You two had better stand down." Finnick ordered as he too stood up and stood between them to prevent anything from occurring, a fight now could mean the death of them all especially at this point in the Quell. They had to stick to the plan, they had to! The plan meant stability and that they would get out of here alive, he wasn't going to allow them to jeopardize that especially over as stupid as an argument like theirs. "Either we all get along and we live longer or we don't and we die faster, which option do you prefer?"

"Live longer." They both replied in sync and they both stepped away removing their hands from their weapons and sitting down with not so much as a glare at the other girl. Sighing in relief, he sat down and joined them all as Beetee fidgeted with his glasses and unbeknownst to them, Wiress snuck down to the water.

"I might have a plan but it all depends on the Careers." Beetee volunteered and the group turned to look at them. "I heard you mention how you believe that the Arena is a clock Katniss, and I quite agree. Going off of that, we could get them down to the beach and use the electric strike against them if we plan it right."

"And how would we do that?" Annie asks as she takes in his words with closed eyes and a thoughtful expression on her features.

"We could conduct the electricity down to the beach through my wire and the beach will serve as the conductor itself if the beach was wet following the wave correct?" The rest, minus Wiress, nodded as Beetee continued getting increasingly scientific and particular about his word choice. After a good five minutes or so of this, Finnick glanced over at Katniss, who had also gotten increasingly bored as the time wore on. The younger girl was scanning the perimeter with her gray Seam eyes growing increasingly wider with concern. What was the problem? He wondered as he looked around as well but with more confusion until it hit him.

"Where's Wiress?" The twenty-four year old asked aloud startling the nodding off Jo, Peeta, and Annie and earning a glare-over-the-glasses from Beetee who, apparently, was on a role. After the weight of his words hit them, everyone turned around expecting to hear the familiar Tick Tock or that silly song she had been singing earlier about some mouse running up a clock.

"The canary is silent." Beetee remarked confusing all but Katniss and Peeta who seemed to understand the seriousness of his words and immediately moved to help him up. Looking over at the rest, Katniss gave the rest a look of disbelief as to why they weren't moving too.

"When canaries go silent in mines it means danger is coming and if they die, well there's little chance the miners will live to tell the tale either." Katniss' explanation soon had Jo, Finnick, and Annie up on their feet as well and moving away from the beech as Wiress' final scream rang out followed by a deathly silence that could only mean the worst. In response Finnick felt himself wince and saw Katniss inwardly debate with herself as she contemplated going back to help her before her survival instincts (and a desire to get Peeta out alive) won out and she continued jogging forward and supporting Beetee.

"We should be fine here in the brush." Jo said eventually before turning to Katniss and Beetee and surprising them all by being not only not-angry but actually having regret in her voice. "I'm sorry about Wiress." Katniss looked the most taken aback by this show of sympathy but also was the first to be able to react to it with a nod of gratitude as Beetee, who looked a little shaken by losing his district partner, nodded too with pinpricks of tears visible behind his glasses.

"She's in a better place." Annie continued where Jo had left off as she placed a comforting hand on Beetee's arm. Good thing that she was here and Jo was in a sympathetic mood, Finnick was terrible with comforting people and he was willing to bet a dollar to a dime that Katniss probably wasn't good at it either.

"And her sacrifice won't be in vain either." Peeta finished up with as he squeezed the genius' shoulder with the arm that he was holding him up with. "Especially if that plan of yours works." As soon as he said that, as if it was in sync with his words, the lightning struck the tree to call out that it was noon and the bonging resumed drowning out any forms of communication thereafter.

"It will work," Beetee insisted nudging his glasses to the top of his nose in a habit that Finnick swore up and down that all glasses-wearing-folk had. "In fact we can do it tonight if we plan it right." He added earning a grin from Finnick, for whom, waiting, as he pointed out earlier, was not his strong suit.

"This is my kind of plan!" Finnick smirked earning a laugh from Annie and Jo who both knew about his inability to practice, let alone comprehend, the idea of patience.

"So how is it going to go down Beetee?" Katniss asked ignoring their laughter as she focused on the plan at hand, she too had someone she wanted to save and lacked the reassurance that the rest had in knowing that they would all make it out alive if they played their parts to the "t" and dotted all their i's.

"Just keep me alive until we get up there around nine and then we can have a group that will uncoil the wire and a group that will guard me. Does that work for you?" Beetee asked as he outlined the major parts of his plan for them and they all nodded feeling exceedingly glad that none of it included having to be a genius to do it. The only thing this plan meant for them was being the brawns of the operation and even Annie and Peeta were sure that they could manage that much.

"Oh hell yes, that will definitely work for us." Jo affirmed as she swung her axe around testing her muscles and smiled a warrior's grin at the prospect of getting to beat up some folks. "That will work perfect actually."

**Woohoo! Updating twice over two days! Hopefully will be faster updating-wise with the next chapter(s) but I can't make any promises. Again thanks for reading and reviewing and please don't hesitate to ask any questions or leave any comments you might have. :)**


	14. Promising to Wait

**Chapter 14: Promising to Wait**

Following Beetee's explanation of the plan and their role in it, the group stayed in the general area but separated a bit to mentally prepare. In the end, Beetee took a much needed nap propped up against a tree awkwardly so that his knife wound was not touching the bark. Jo stood a few feet away sharpening her axe with her eyes closed and thinking about something that made her look very un-Joanna-like and sad. Likely enough it was her dead mom and the other person, the one that she refused to speak of but had mentioned in passing when he came to bring her back to her room after she got drunk at a bar following the Games last year. If only Finnick could remember that person's name, he was sure it was a guy but he could not for the life of him remember who. Not that it really mattered to him but he wish he could remember, it might help him to understand the mystery that was Joanna Mason. Turning his sea green to the right, they caught the gray eyed huntress who was no mystery whispering furiously with her fiancé the blonde baker boy who he was now certain had the touch like Annie.

Annie, sweet Annie, was leaning on his shoulder and looking out at the water lapping lazily at the shore they were sitting on. Her dark curls were pulled back in their usual ponytail and her sea green eyes had a faraway look to them. He knew that she likely enough thinking of her family and Sanders, no matter how old she got or how long she lived following her Games, he knew that she never would forget the red haired and brown eyed grand nephew of Mags. The Gamemakers had scarred her so deep through those Games that at one point he was uncertain that she would ever come back to him, could ever come back to him. Even then he was aware on some basic level that she meant more to him than just a person he felt obligated to put back together but at the time he refused to admit that to anyone else let alone himself. But Mags had known, had always known, and when his feelings for the broken girl at his side caught up to him and caught him by surprise the older Victor had chuckled and ruffled his hair good naturedly with a knowing smile on her lips.

"Finnick?" The girl beside him who was his world interrupted his thoughts and he turned to her with his sea green eyes wide in concern. Her sea green eyes met his as they took in the freckles that speckled his nose, the nose that no matter how many times the Capitol did facial surgery continued to have a slight crooked angle that she loved. The way the light flashed in his concerned eyes and his bronze curly locks cascaded over his slightly darker and artificially formed eyebrows. One of those eyebrows was raised in a questioning look that made her want to laugh despite the dread that she felt in her heart. As a carrier of what Mags referred to as the Touch, Annie knew that despite the security that Haymitch's plan offered she was still getting a sinking feeling that after tonight she might not see Finn again.

"You okay Annie?" He replied as she continued to take in every square inch of his face in the fading afternoon light, she did not want to forget any part of him if her feeling turned out to be accurate. Despite praying to any being that would listen, she still scooted closer to the broken man who hid it so well, so much better than she could. Earlier that week, Finn had nearly had a breakdown due to the fact that he was so worried at the time about losing her but now he was managing to hold back that fear as he strived to keep his promises and if he died, it was when he knew for sure that she and the rest were safe.

"Okay." Looking away she laughed a cynical laugh that sounded far too close to his own barking laugh that it made his heart sink, Finn would never let her become as far gone as he was that was a fate he would die rather than make her experience such pain and hurt as he had. "Well I have to be okay." She amended in a quieter voice that made his heart sink even further as he watched her hands shake and she fought to not succumb to the memories and clamp out the world by covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm okay." Annie repeated more to herself than to him, "I'm okay."

"Want to talk through it?" He asked feeling vaguely like the psychiatrist that his parents had forced him to go and see when they failed to understand where the cynical remarks and barking laugh had come from following his own Games a decade ago. Little did they know that it was because of what he'd seen and done to live that he had become the way he was, no psychiatrist could fix the memories that had been seared into his brain. Annie too had seen her own fair share of psychiatrists from the Capitol and recognized the origin of his question but instead of it earning a laugh, as such ridiculousness on his part usually did, she just looked away and shook her head. "Are you getting something with your Touch?" Finnick continued needing an answer more than she needed to talk about it.

"We might fall." Annie murmured as she turned her eyes back to him and the look of acceptance that crossed his face made her want to cry but she refused to allow the sadness to flow. There would be time for that latter but in the here and now she had to enjoy the little time that she had left with the man she loved and hoped that the cruel hand of fate did not take him away from her as she feared and worried it would.

"Falling is not always bad." The fisherman's son pointed out with a fake smile that did not reach his eyes, "I fell for you and we both turned out alright." Even in the face of death, Finnick would give the old Reaper a joke, that Annie was sure of, yet his jokes were not going to cut it this time.

"Not this time." Annie sighed out with such resignation in her voice that it made Finnick want to cry out in pain. "This time might be when we go under for good."

"Don't talk like that." He pleaded but he knew that his words were empty and that he had nothing to back them up. She was right, even he could feel that without the Touch, something bad was going to happen tonight and they may not both make it out no matter how hard they fought or how well Haymitch's plan worked. At this Annie fell silent and despite the fact that he wanted to hear her voice even if they were talking about nonsense, Finnick could not get the words out of his mouth either and the two sat in silence with his arm around her shoulder and her head leaning on his shoulder. Looking back on it, Finnick wished he could have paused life then and there but that wasn't how life worked, with the good always came the bad. So it goes.

By the time they began to move, night was coming quickly and the sun had just winked below the tree line. At a nod from Beetee, Peeta and Annie both took one of his arms while Finnick, Jo, and Katniss took on a triangular formation around the wounded engineer and his carriers. The trek was slow going but they still made it to the main tree by what Beetee calculated to be around 9:30, only 30 minutes after he needed to be there which still gave the bearers of the wire plenty of time to get down to the beach and then out of the shock zone the 10 o'clock wave would create if and only if they moved quickly.

"Alright I need Joanna and Katniss to take the wire down to the beach and Annie, Peeta, and Finnick to remain here as my guards." Beetee explained as Peeta and Annie helped the District 4 Victor to a sitting position at the base of the huge tree. As the branches of the tree rattled above them, Katniss' gray eyes took on a disagreeable gleam that made Finnick sigh; he was in no state to break up another fight. Annie's words had really hit home with him and he could barely deal with the hurt he was feeling at the idea that the girl he loved, the girl that made up his whole world and who he had promised to keep safe, might leave him tonight or vice versa if he was to be the one go to the clearing at the end of the path tonight.

"Why can't Peeta come with me?" Katniss argued sounding like the indignant child that she had been just a few years ago, possibly prior to the Games if she was lucky, which none of the Victors usually were. Since she, and the rest of them too, were not it was clear that it had been years since she'd been child; in his case he had not been a child since age 10 when Mako had nearly been Reaped at age 18 but instead some other guy had stepped in and saved his brother and his family in general.

"Because I need him and Annie to move me around and doctor me up while Finnick guards." Beetee replied before pausing to look at her over his glasses with his dark brown eyes giving her a pointed look. "Do you have a problem with that?" Katniss looked ready to argue until Peeta stepped up beside her and gave her a shoulder a tight comforting squeeze.

"No she doesn't, do you Katniss?" Peeta said in his most commanding voice for his fiancé. Normally if Peeta spoke for her she'd be threatening him with an arrow but to Finnick's surprise (and the even greater surprise of the blonde baker's son) she just shook her head and Finn gave him a grateful look. Peacemaker (not Peacekeeper) Peeta to the rescue yet again and no one was more excited than Finnick about that.

"Not at all, come on Jo." The huntress beckoned to Jo after kissing Peeta goodbye and giving the blue eyed boy a final wistful look. That look solidified what Finnick already had known since Peeta had met the force field and had nearly lost that battle; what Finnick knew was that she loved him yet was not completely aware of it in the same way that Peeta was.

"I'm not a bitch that comes to her name being called." Jo grunted back as she gave Annie and Finnick a goodbye look with her golden eyes reflecting the pain that she likely enough was feeling deep down. She may not have the Touch like Annie but she too was getting the same feeling that this was going to be the breaking of their group and she too did not like this idea any more than Finnick, Annie, or even Peeta who was giving Katniss a pain-filled, puppy-dog look from his stunning blue eyes, he knew too.

"Play nice!" Finnick called after them as the two females walked off and Katniss sent Peeta back her own longing filled look from her gray eyes; she felt it too. When they disappeared into the trees, Annie and Finnick turned back to Beetee while Peeta continued to look after his lover, he accepted the necessity of their separation however he didn't have to like it.

"Peeta?" Beetee called him getting his attention after a moment and the baker's son turned around with his blue eyes blinking furiously and his slightly creaky leg vocalizing its complaints at his quick motion.

"Yes?" Peeta asked as Finnick watched him attempt to focus on the conversation at hand and not the rapidly disappearing love of his life.

"I need you to go and get me some more moss for my back, please, the current stuff has become too bloody to be effective. In the mean time I'll be directing Annie on how to wrap the remaining wire correctly around the tree while Finnick guards." Beetee explained talking about his quickening blood loss in such a casual way that Peeta had to think over what the older bespectacled man was saying to realize that he was talking about his wound and the liquid red life force that he was losing far too fast.

"Understood." He replied before walking into the cover of the trees just within earshot of Beetee's commands, Annie's responses, and Finnick's commentary. Glancing back at the blonde, Peeta smiled despite himself as he leaned on his trident and thought of how brave the younger boy was being despite his fear of losing Katniss just after he had finally gotten her as the lover that he desperately wanted her to be. Could he be that brave? The sea green eyed twenty four year old thought to himself as he glanced over at the girl he loved with her dark curls now freely cascading halfway down her back after she'd had to use her hair tie to tie one of the more stubborn bits of the wire in place. Before he could fully decide a scream rang out that sounded far too much like Katniss and the sound of fighting that made him cringe, here was the bit when everything went off plan as twas to be expected.

"Katniss!" Peeta roared in response, he knew that scream better than anyone after all, and tore off in the direction of the noise with a loud battle cry and flinging his knife dangerously about his head. Groaning, Finnick made as if to run after him until a familiar tiny hand caught his wrist preventing him from going anywhere not because of its strength but because of who it was.

"Don't. Beetee's wire is done anyhow and he mayhap will listen better to me, a carrier of the Touch as well." She explained quickly with her sea green eyes taking on the same look of acceptance but dislike that Peeta's had worn up until a few moments ago.

"I can do it." Finnick argued weakly but was stopped by her lips on his in a passionate but rushed kiss that made his heart nearly stop; it was too much like a last kiss to be anything but that.

"Wait for me if you get to the end of the path first." She whispered in his ear as she hugged him close and he felt his shoulder grow wet. His hear screamed out at him to stop her but he knew that he couldn't, this was what had to be and damn the fates that planned for it to go this way.

"I promise." He whispered back with his voice too weak to manage anything better than that. "Wait for me too." When he let go he was glad that she paused for a moment so that he could memorize every square inch of her face, the face he wanted to be the last thing he saw when he fell asleep and the first he saw when he awoke. Her sea green eyes, tan skin, dark curls, and the fading freckles of childhood imprinted themselves on his subconscious and he closed his eyes to forever solidify this. In the time it took to reopen them, he only was able to catch sight of her back as she ran after the baker's boy and the girl he wanted to bear his last name dashed out of his life for what he worried was forever.

"We need to get away from the tree Finnick." Beetee urged him into motion and caused the sea green eyed man to turn around in time for the engineer and inventor to spot the pools that were forming in his eyes, he really loved that Annie Cresta to the point of possibly wanting her to become Annie Cresta Odair and was now terrified that that would never come to be.

"Right. Got to live through the shock." Finnick affirmed suddenly looking tired and older than twice if not triple his actual years. "Promised her I'd do this, stay alive so I've got to." Looking at Beetee with hollow eyes he repeated himself "Got to be okay."

"Just a little further Finnick, she will be okay." The inventor/engineer tried to comfort him with false words that were too much of a lie for them to fool Finnick. Shaking his head slowly, he helped the older victor up and into the tree line before he crouched down with the trident resting on his knees.

"Annie." He whispered into the wind. "Sweet Annie." Beetee stopped listening to such a private conversation for this was the only way Finnick was keeping himself together, stopping himself from going mad with loss. "I promise." His murmurs only hit his ears and sounded pitiful even to him as he closed his eyes and nearly missed Katniss suddenly reappearing in the clearing panting and with her arm bleeding profusely.

"So much blood." Beetee managed before he passed out from his own blood making Finnick wonder if Beetee was referring to his knife wound or Katniss' arm. It didn't really matter to Finnick because in the end this was another job he had to do rather than saving Annie. Stupid promises, why did he keep making them! Cursing to himself he stepped out to the clearing and soon had Katniss' arrow pointed at his chest.

"Remember who the real enemy is." Finnick pleaded not really giving a damn about his safety at this point aside from knowing that if Katniss killed him he would be unable to save anyone, especially not his beloved Annie. Luckily those were the right words he realized as she lowered her weapon before picking up a coil of wire that had been cut slack prior to the scream that had caused Annie to run away off to someone else's rescue. As she wrapped it around her arrow, Finnick suddenly realized what she was doing and tried to protest as she waited for the lightning to strike the tree and he watched her arrow fly as they were both flung back by the force of the explosion. As he fell back and his eyes closed he thought only of Annie and he worried suddenly that he was going to beat her to the end of the path.

"Wait for me." Her voice resounded in his aching skull as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. Fighting the urge to let go he felt himself falling towards the black but forced the words out of his mouth, the words that might be his last ones spoken in this world and, of course, would be for her.

"I'll wait…Promise."

**Wow so that was a long time between updates, eh? Truly sorry about that reader, but I promise (cross my heart and hope to shoot) this story will be complete in less than a chapter or two and those will be uploaded before the end of this break. Again sorry about the long wait, hope you enjoy and please review with any ideas you might have or any comments. I, as always, am open to suggestions. **


	15. Never Letting Go

**Chapter 15: Never Letting Go**

Apparently now was not the end of Finnick's time in this world after all. In fact, he had been saved through the very plan that Haymitch had originally wheeled him in with because it meant that he could save Annie. It had not saved Annie though but it had saved him, well the shell of him because that was all he was without her. At first, he had not even been aware that Haymitch had not saved his beloved; it was not until Katniss appeared and he heard her say that the Infirmary was empty save for Beetee. In other words, no Annie Cresta and no Peeta Mellark and no Johanna Mason. The one of course that had affected him the most was the absence of Annie, his sweet Annie. After he had discovered this, all of his life became snippets of painful wakefulness and nearly as painful sleep. Sleep was especially painful when the nightmares came, and they did often, however sleep could also be the most blissful thing ever. It was in sleep that there wasn't the broken promises he'd been beating himself up over during his waking hours. Even when he was awake, he was not always there because after all he was only a shell of his former self without her there. If not for Katniss he probably would have just faded out of existence, she in her loss gave him a purpose to at least survive not quite live to the fullest but survive.

"Finnick?" Haymitch called walking into his room into District 13's Psychiatric Ward, ignoring him Finnick rolled over onto his side, pulled the covers sullenly over his head, and stared blankly at the wall. To anyone else this might have been a strange reaction because this man had saved his life but this man had also broken a promise, the most important one Finnick had ever forced someone else to make. This drunken savior had left Annie to die because she had a heart and had gone after Peeta all for the sake of ensuring that Haymitch's damn plan would go perfectly. Well it did Haymitch; you have your precious Mockingjay with Katniss Everdeen here in District 13 but you left Annie, Peeta, and Jo at the mercy of the Capitol and for that Finnick would never forgive him.

"Hey Finn." Katniss' voice reached his ears startling him. He must have lost track of time again because Haymitch had yet to be in the same room as Katniss since she had added three nice claw marks to the large amount of scars that had already populated his tan face. Looking over at her, his sea green eyes met her gray orbs and she sighed; must have noticed the dark circles under his empty sea green eyes, the fact his hair had not been brushed in weeks, and the way his cheek bones stood out obviously due to the fact that he had not been eating nearly enough.

"Katniss, came to visit me? You're so sweet." He purred trying to retain a little of the charm and joking nature that he'd had before. Before, that was the best way to put it Finnick decided as he looked back at all that had happened since being "saved" out of the kindness of Haymitch's alcoholic heart.

"You came to visit me Finn." She replied looking a little confused. Looking over at her he realized how pale she too was and that made him wince, he may be falling to pieces but he didn't think that she was as bad off as he was. At least she had her family, his was dead and so was Annie's and that alone made him want to curl up in a little ball, close his eyes, and clamp his hands over his ears until the memories went away. Except the huntress' words didn't make sense, unless…

"Was I wandering again?" The broken twenty-four year old asked and she sighed in response. He must have been wandering again. Lovely soon he would be back to the ward for testing again if the big guard next to Katniss had his way.

"I don't think so." Katniss replied giving him a pointed look and then glancing over at the nameless bear of a guard. "I think you must have heard about the deal I am signing with President Coin." Starring at her a little confused, Finnick wracked his brains trying to remember that name but it didn't come to mind automatically. Shaking his head at that, he gave her a look as his brain worked overtime trying to figure out why Katniss had not told him this earlier; perhaps it was what Haymitch had wanted to tell him.

"What is included in the deal?" Finnick asked still feeling really left out and watched as Katniss visibly sighed.

"I told you yesterday but you must have been asleep." Even in her annoyance at his inability to keep up anymore like he had prior to the Incident, she still kept her cool and didn't threaten him like she might have pre-Incident. If only she understood, that was all his life was anymore: Before Annie left, the Incident when Annie left, and After was the hell his life had become since Annie left. "I'm becoming their Mockingjay on the condition that they give all the captured Victors immunity and District 13 will save them from the Capitol."

"Annie." Finnick whispered excitedly and earned a smile even from the burly grizzly bear guard he originally had thought to be a little callous.

"Yes Finn, your Annie is going to be safe." Katniss said with the smile he was undoubtedly certain that she used when she talked to wounded animals or Prim, was he that broken? "Your Annie and my…uh…just Peeta." Usually he would have picked up on this but take it easy on poor Finny-boy he is still a little out of it. Even still things got better for Finnick after that, he had a reason to live because if Annie, no, when Annie got back he had to be ready to greet her with a big smile on his face because she'd need help. He'd promised to fix her and she would surely need fixing. But to fix her, he had to fix himself first.

**…**

A few months went by during which Finnick tried his best, and according to some he was completely fixed. Mrs. Everdeen and Haymitch apparently thought he was put back together enough to go sleep in his own room, alone with only the nightmares for company. Beetee trusted him with a trident; a super awesome trident that was technologically so advanced that even with all of his ample free time Finnick was unable to understand it completely. Katniss still thought he was funny after he'd put on his old acting-self and flashed his boxer shorts. Gale was asking him for tips on how to get girls and had even asked him to go hunting with him once; in the end Finnick had politely declined to both though. The truth was that no matter what all of those people above thought, he was still empty because a huge part of him was missing; the Annie part.

"Are you ready to see Annie?" Katniss asked as she sat down beside Finnick in Beetee's little ray of sunshine, the Hummingbird Room. Smirking to himself, Finnick nodded knowing that the huntress was only trying to distract herself from the idea of potentially losing both Peeta and her Gale. Not to say that Katniss didn't care about Annie and Jo also coming back safe but she was mostly worried about her beloved and her best friend. Apparently Gale had a thing for Katniss but Finnick refused to believe that no matter how many times Gale nodded towards Katniss and waggled his eyebrows seductively. Katniss may think that she liked Gale now but Finnick knew that when push came to shove Peeta would be the one that ended up putting a ring on that girl's finger if they lived long enough. If he was lucky enough to live this long, he prayed that he could too put a ring on a certain District 4 Victor's finger himself but that was if and only if she was saved today.

"I've been ready ever since she left me." Honesty had always been difficult for Finnick who had been forced to be an actor nearly 24/7 since he had won the Games, but at that moment it had flowed from his lips easily. The only person Finnick had not had to act around was Annie, even his whole family failed to understand the horrors he had seen and lived through, so little Finn had learned to act like everything was okay, like he was whole.

"How did you know that she was the one? I mean there were thousands of women you had been with. What made Annie so different?" Her gray eyes searched his as he looked over at a butterfly sitting lightly on a purple flower blowing from the wind caused by the AC outside the little Butterfly Room. Thinking to himself, he wondered when it had been exactly. There were different ways in which he realized that she was the one. First there was the time that she at twelve years old had given him the strength to fight for life and win his Games. Next there was when she got Reaped and he wanted to cry with her little brother who was too young to understand. After that came the days, weeks, and months where he had sat beside her and tried desperately to put her back together. During that time, Finnick (who had up until this point refused to admit that he was broken at all) realized that while putting her back together he had put himself back together. Or there was the time when Annie promised to be his girl in their odd way of communicating.

"Ground control to Major Tom?"Katniss prodded quoting a song from some old Capitol ad that had come out when she was younger and propagating that 'With the Capitol, the Sky is the limit!'

"I'm still here just thinking of the actual moment that I realized that Annie was the one." Finnick grinned to himself as he realized the exact words to describe the moment. "I didn't. She crept up on me." Because it was true, every moment made up the reason that she was the one, had always been the one. Katniss gave him a look of absolute confusion as she tied a knot without looking down on it. Perhaps Katniss learned knot-tying from Annie originally in the Training Center what felt like a million years ago but it was Finnick who had assisted her with using that knot tying to channel her pain. It had been when they were all stuck in the bowels of District 13 during an attack they had (luckily) been warned about by Peeta. As per the new normal, Finnick zoned out and was transported back to that night.

_Despite what everyone said, Finnick knew that he was still broken to the point that though he was not claustrophobic being down in these caverns beneath District 13 was making him go crazy. That explained why by the third night, insomnia had become such an issue for him that hours after lights out he was still sitting under his space lamp tying knots. In his opinion, the guards must have just taken pity on the pitiful guy sitting there and trying to tie himself back together because usually they would have forced him to turn the light off and at least fake being asleep._

_ "Psst Finnick." Katniss whisper-yelled startling him as her tan face with its dark curls framing it (she never slept with her hair in her braid or if she did her bangs always escaped as was the case now)and her deep gray eyes appeared out of the dark gloom. _

_ "Huh?" He replied looking really confused with one dark bronze eyebrow raised and the other lowered giving her a funny look._

_ "Can I talk to you? Are you busy?" Glancing down at the rope in his lap, Finnick looked back up at her and earned a giggle. That giggle made him smile, the two of them had not gotten along great prior to the Quell but now they did mostly because she needed a connection to the Quell who also lost someone to the Capitol's torture policies and well he was the only one. "Guess not. Can I join you under the light?"_

_ "Be my guest." Finnick gestured to the open end of his cot and scooted out of her way forcing his body into a position that had his knees bent up to his chest as he leaned back against the wall looking like the kid he had not been for far too many years."Let me guess, Peeta?" Katniss' noncommittal shrug proved his words to be true. _

_ "Snow is using him to get to me isn't he?" The huntress sighed out dually surprising and saddening him. Surprising him because he normally would have to go all psychiatrist on her to get any coherent sentences about Peeta out of her throat. Saddening because now she knew the trick that Snow had used for years on him and others and that was the final destruction of innocence in his opinion; the realization, specifically THAT realization._

_ "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier." He apologized to her earning a funny look from her familiar gray eyes as she picked up a bit of rope he had not knotted into uselessness as of the present moment._

_ "How could you have known…oh" Her realization made Annie's absence hurt all the more, oh yes he definitely did understand far, far too well. "How'd you know that I was thinking about Peeta?" It would take her this long to come to this point, Finnick thought to himself with a mental grin. Granted it was as a subject change but it was still another small step in the right direction._

_ "Because I've spent enough time with you plus I know the look of a lover missing their better half. I see that look every morning when I finally pluck up the courage to look in the mirror." Katniss opened her mouth to ask a question but Finnick already knew what she wanted to ask. Plus after having not spoken this much in so long, Finnick didn't want to stop for fear that he wouldn't be able to start back up. "How did I know that you on some level love Peeta? I've known since he hit the force field and you nearly hyperventilated to death in fear of losing him. It was then that I knew that I misjudged you and that you did love him at least on some level."_

_ "Do you know what level? Can you see that too?" Katniss asked looking at him with her gray eyes hungry for an answer that she knew but wouldn't admit to herself._

_ "That is for me to know and for you to find out. One day you'll know." Finnick replied with a grin as he picked up his rope and began to tie again._

_ "Promise?" She asked sounding for all the world like Remy and thinking of Remy made Finnick want to cry. Must not think of Remy because he couldn't cry, not now. _

_ "I promise."Finnick replied turning back to the rope and trying to not thinking of Remy, Annie, and promises. Katniss fell silent for a bit there until she, despite being a hunter all her life, grew tired of the silence and turned to Finnick with another question on her lips. "How do you deal with the Capitol's torture?" That was not the question he was expecting, no not in the least. _

_ "I don't!" He whisper yelled suddenly far more aware than usual of the large amounts of people sleeping around him. "I drag myself out of nightmares every morning and then live in the ever present nightmare that is my life without Annie." Pausing again, he heard Annie's voice in his head and knew that her words were the best here, especially for Katniss. "It's better not to give in to it. It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart." Looking down at his rope sadly, he passed it over to Katniss with a smile that (as usual) didn't quite meet his eyes. "Distract yourself, it helps. Make sure to continue to tie the knots that Annie taught you when it seems to get too hard." Katniss took the rope from his hand and wandered back to her sleep area with a distracted look in her eyes as she tied away._

_ "Thanks." She mouthed back and he grinned in response with the old expression resounding in his head, 'tied together with a smile that was coming undone'._

"Finnick?" Katniss asked shaking him out of his memory cinema and he gave her a slightly annoyed look. Memories when they weren't terrible were distractions that kept him tied a little more together. "They're here and safe." Neither of them had any questions about who 'they' were but the idea of seeing Annie after all this time made him completely paralyzed. Sighing to herself, Katniss grabbed his hand and pulled him after her as they passed by a shaven head and passed out Joanna and a screaming Gale in surgery. Katniss looked a little upset about this but Finnick barely noticed his best friend on the stretcher or the screams of his flirtatious acquaintance. The only thought that Finnick could manage at the moment was her name continuously running through his brain.

"Finnick!" Her voice, the only voice that he wanted to hear screamed his name causing him to turn quickly, ripping his hand out of Katniss' as he ran towards the dark curly haired girl with the sea green eyes brimming with tears. Despite the fact that she was apparently only wearing a sheet, Annie was the only thing in his world as she ran to him and he crashed into her with his weak and out of shape legs gave out causing them both to collapse against the wall. With his arms wrapped tight around her, he felt her tears dripping on his shoulder and he knew that his own eyes were leaking as well. They were tears of happiness of two people who knew without a doubt that they loved each other more than words could ever say because it was the love that made two broken people whole. Clinging to Annie tightly, Finnick knew that everything was okay as the broken part in him began to repair and he breathed in deeply her familiar scent and smiled as the way to stay above the waters of despair finally hit him.; never letting go and when it came to Annie Cresta, soon to be Mrs. Odair, he never did.

**It's done! I give you the end of the tale and I hope that you liked it. I had fun writing it and I hope that you, reader, had fun reading it. Please review and Instant Message me any ideas or suggestions that you have. As music lover from district 4 can attest to, I do take suggestions seriousl and they become stories like this one! So message me any suggestions, review if you liked my fic or if you didn't. Thanks for sticking around for 15 Chapters of me, hope you enjoyed! Until next time, reader! Sayōnara! Au Revior! Adios! Ciao! Shalom!**


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